Course Description : LYBL - Relationships gives you the opportunity to learn and use an understanding of how our minds and our bodies work together to sense, interpret, respond to, and work with all life’s experiences. This understanding, especially, gives you control over and affects your relationships of all kinds. You are invited to share and get help with specific issues. Confidentiality is required.  

Instructor Bio: Debbie has been a teacher, therapist, and healer her whole adult life. She has a Bachelor’s in Education, a Master’s in Clinical and Medical Social Work, and training in the physical and energetic healing arts. She has been in practice for 35 years.  

Notes: A $5 fee is requested.  

Tour Description: This one-day tour will be a leisurely walk through the Fort Walton Beach Veterans Park Rookery to observe and identify local bird life.  Our guide is an experienced member of the local Audubon Society.  The rookery is a beautiful 1.5 acre park and home of the heron and many other bird species.  The Audubon Society has identified over 240 species of birds that migrate through our area. The rookery is on the migratory path of the Monarch butterfly.  Come enjoy nature on this educational walk through the Veterans Park Rookery on Okaloosa Island on Thursday, October 1, from 8:30 to 9:30.

Tour Host Bio: Our guide, Jim Anderton, is a member of the Audubon Society. He has led many bird walks in the rookery and other local locations. Jim is highly experienced at locating and identifying birds as well as identifying them by sound.

Notes: We will meet at the NE corner of the Fort Walton Beach Conference Center parking lot, 1300 Miracle Strip Parkway SE, Fort Walton Beach.  Closed-toe shoes and binoculars are recommended.  Park and meet in the northeastern corner of the lot.

Tour Description: October is Fire Prevention Month. Come join us on this behind the scenes tour as we learn how our first responders provide protection of life, property and the environment from the effects of fires, medical emergencies and hazards with a tour the vehicles and the firehouse. Firefighters will be happy to answer all of your questions. You will depart with a new appreciation and understanding of our local fire station and firefighters.

Tour Host Bio: This Tour is conducted by local firefighters and first responders, providing valuable knowledge and insight on how they do what they do, and how you can help them and help yourself when emergencies arise.

Notes: We will meet at 10:00AM at the Fort Walton Beach Fire Station #6, 5 Hollywood Blvd. NE, Fort Walton Beach.

Tour Description: The C.A.L.M. House (Crisis Aid for Littles and Moms) is a 501c3 nonprofit that offers transitional housing and life skills training to mothers and their children in crisis situations.  CALM Village provides a unique one-year independent living program designed for single mothers who work full-time and have children enrolled in childcare or school.

Tour Host Bio: Terri Steadman became involved with CALM after mentoring single moms at Whataburger in 2010, a simple beginning that turned into a large support group at Crosspoint. As she met moms living in cars, woods, and behind local businesses, she realized they needed more than encouragement; they needed safety and a place to rebuild. That conviction led her to co-found CALM in 2016 and opened their first home in 2018.  Since then, they have served nearly 70 moms and over 100 children, helping families regain stability, custody, careers, and hope.

Notes: We will meet at 9:00 am at The C.A.L.M. House, 201 Redwood Avenue, Niceville, Florida. We will tour the facilities and get an overview of the program.  Parking is available on site. 

Tour Description: Join us for a special behind-the-scenes tour of Salt & Story, a unique independent bookstore and community gathering space. Attendees will learn about the inspiration behind the store, how an independent bookstore operates, and the role community-centered businesses play in fostering connection and creativity. Following the tour, participants will create a hands-on book-themed craft project to take home. A fee of $25 will be collected at the door to cover craft supplies. Please bring the exact amount.

Tour Host Bio: Laura Redmon is the owner of Salt & Story, a local entrepreneur, community magazine publisher, and a passionate advocate for small businesses and meaningful community connections. With a love for storytelling, creativity, and bringing people together, Laura created Salt & Story as a place where readers, makers, and neighbors could gather, learn, and feel inspired. She enjoys hosting engaging events that encourage creativity, conversation, and lifelong learning.

Notes: We will meet at Salt & Story, 1103-B John Sims Parkway, Niceville, FL 32578

Tour Description: Learn practical ways to manage stress in a humorous, interactive class setting. Topics include recognizing symptoms of stress, life stressors, relaxation exercises, altering stress-inducing thoughts, and understanding how passive/assertive/aggressive personal interactions impact stress.

Tour Host Bio: Dr. Richard is a retired clinical and military operations forces psychologist with over 30 years of experience training Olympic/professional/college athletes, civilian police tactical teams, and top-tier specialized military professionals requiring a high level of mental toughness and stress tolerance. He has a PhD and three Master’s degrees. He currently spends his time volunteering with various charitable organizations and training mental skills to local high school varsity athletic teams.

Tour Description: Ashley Bailey from the Crime Prevention Unit will discuss how AI is used in frauds and scams and ways to prevent being a victim.

Tour Host Bio: Ashley Bailey is the Crime Prevention Manager with the Okaloosa County Sheriff’s Office. She has been working for the Sheriff’s Office for over 21 years educating citizens, business owners, and tourists in Okaloosa County. In addition, she started and continues to manage numerous programs and services for residents.

Tour Description: This is definitely NOT a traditional mental health briefing. Learn about resilience and strength-based mental toughness through lessons learned from working with elite military special operations forces and other top-tier professionals. This class can benefit veterans as well as civilians without any military background. You will learn about societal trends undermining resilience, challenging life event exposure, and evidence-based elements of mental toughness and resilience. Having a Warrior Mindset helps you inculcate positive coping skills and a healthy, adaptive philosophy following stressors and challenging life events.

Tour Host Bio: Dr. Richard is a retired clinical and military operations forces psychologist with over 30 years of experience training Olympic/professional/college athletes, civilian police tactical teams, and top-tier specialized military professionals requiring a high level of mental toughness and stress tolerance. He has a PhD and three Master’s degrees. He currently spends his time volunteering with various charitable organizations and training mental skills to local high school varsity athletic teams.