Caring & Sharing of South Walton

Caring & Sharing of South Walton provides food and assistance to local residents with the support of churches, civic groups, individuals, and businesses. Sales in the Thrift Store cover operating expenses and generate funds to help clients with food, medicine, rent, and utilities. Items for sale in the Thrift Store include clothing, housewares, bedding, furniture, electronics, and books. The Thrift Store and Furniture Warehouse are open 6 days per week and are staffed by many volunteers who work to display, sort, sell, and assist with the store operation. In addition to yearlong assistance, Caring & Sharing also has special projects for Back-to-School, Thanksgiving, and Christmas, including Angel Tree gifts for children. Pickup of large donations is available.

Website: www.caringandsharingsowal.org

Food For Thought Outreach

Food For Thought is a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit organization based in Santa Rosa Beach, Florida, that provides backpacks filled with healthy, easy-to-prepare food for students who are dependent on free or reduced school meals. Its goal is to support a child’s development and educational experience by bridging the gap between school meals during weekends and holiday breaks. Food For Thought has been working to fight child hunger since 2010 and currently serves 23 schools in Walton and Okaloosa Counties, providing backpacks for 1,700 students each week. For more information, such as donation locations, pantry items needed, and opportunities to volunteer, please email [email protected]

Website: www.fftfl.org

Sacred Heart Foundation

The Ascension Sacred Heart Foundation is a philanthropic advocate in support of the Sacred Heart Health System. In that role, the foundation actively encourages contributions and invites volunteer participation to support the work of Sacred Heart hospitals to improve healthcare and social services for the sick and poor of all ages in our region. The Chapel at Seaside is proud to join the foundation in its mission. You can help bring the power of hope, healing, and new beginning to our community—welcoming all through the doors of the Sacred Heart Health System regardless of their ability to pay.

Website: www.givesacredheart.org

Sandcastle Kids

Sandcastle Kids has provided weeklong all-inclusive beach vacations for over forty families with children who have endured a challenging battle with cancer. Each child has enjoyed a stay at a vacation home, meals, a photo shoot, and activities with their families on the beautiful beaches of Destin and South Walton, Florida.

Website: www.thesandcastlekids.com

Westonwood Ranch

Westonwood Ranch offers a unique learning curriculum to improve life skills and pre-vocational skills to young adults with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). Program participants will have the opportunity to engage in a variety of learning experiences. Similar to a college model, the participants will have direct input into their unique learning curriculum by selecting from and participating in an array of diverse “life classes.” The ideal result of this program is gainful employment in the community. Activities include aquaponic greenhouse operations, marketing and sales of organic produce, landscape gardening, ranch maintenance, therapeutic equine activities, animal feeding and care, animal-assisted therapy via animal rescues residing and being cared for on the ranch, creative arts, and life skills/self-care/fitness/wellness initiatives. Westonwood also offers a Summer Enrichment Program—an experience created for individuals ages six to eighteen with autism. It focuses on the use of agriculture to promote individual growth via social, physical, and cognitive stimulation.

Website: www.westonwood.org

Young Life South Walton 

Young Life is a Christian ministry that reaches out to middle school, high school, and college-aged kids in all fifty of the United States as well as more than ninety countries around the world.  There is no one type of person involved in Young Life. It’s for everyone. It’s a place to talk about surviving school, break-ups, parents, bad grades, or God. Young Life is nondenominational and has been from the outset (1941). Therefore, it is not affiliated with any denomination, nor do its leaders encourage one Christian denomination over another. Young Life staff and volunteers affiliate with a wide range of Christian denominations, both Protestant and Catholic.

Website: www.younglife.org

Escape to Create

A multi-disciplinary creative retreat hosted by the Town of Seaside, Florida, since 1993, Escape to Create (E2C) is a volunteer-managed nonprofit organization that represents the unique character of a community deeply invested in the arts. Residencies are made possible through the generosity of Seaside homeowners, merchants, and donors. Contributions directly support artist residencies, educational outreach, and cultural programs.

Website: www.escape2create.org

The REP Theatre

The Repertory Theatre is Northwest Florida’s premier professional theatre company located in the heart of downtown Seaside, Florida, at the 75-seat Meeting Hall Theatre. The REP has built itself into a first-rate regional theatre, attracting some of the finest talents from around the world. The REP’s host of talented professionals and its group of dedicated volunteers work together to entertain more than 25,000 people each year. The REP has never stopped broadening its horizons, continually adding new programming and new venues to better reach its expanding audience base.

Website: www.lovetherep.com