Sacred Spaces of CARE Teams with Alton Police to Teach Basic Self-Defense and Situational Awareness

Our Daily Show Interview! Sacred Spaces of C.A.R.E: Situational Awareness Seminar

ALTON - Sacred Spaces of CARE will offer a free situational awareness training for people who want to learn basic self-defense techniques.

From 10–11:30 a.m. on Saturday, May 30, 2026, community members can come to St. Paul’s Episcopal Church for the training, hosted by Sacred Spaces in partnership with the Alton Police Department. Participants will learn more about situational awareness and navigating crisis situations while protecting their own safety.

“We’re just talking about recognizing your environment, staying aware of your environment, especially focused on mental health or substance-induced situations where you want to be able to notice those risk behaviors and assess the situation,” explained Megan Tyler. “If something were to escalate, we’re going to try to prevent that. What can we do to keep ourselves safe and keep everyone safe?”

Tyler, the executive director of Sacred Spaces of CARE, explained that the training is ideal for anyone over age 16. The event is limited to 20 participants and you must live or work within the Alton/Godfrey community to join.

During the training, Tyler will speak about safety threats and high-risk behaviors. She will also share information about mental health and substance use resources. Officer Hubbard with the Alton Police Department will teach basic self-defense and survival techniques.

Tyler promised these techniques are truly for any skill level or age. She emphasized that the goal is to deescalate situations, but it’s good to know self-defense just in case it’s necessary.

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As an organization, Sacred Spaces of CARE works with community members to connect them with resources and navigate the mental health system. They have partnered with the Alton Police Department to provide the department with officer wellness resources in addition to crisis management education.

Tyler and the full-time Sacred Spaces employee often work together to be on the scene during crisis situations with the police department. They also follow up with individuals in crisis to make sure they have the resources they need.

Everyone that Sacred Spaces works with is connected to the justice system in some way. They’ve also started collaborating with domestic violence survivors and children who are involved with the Department of Children and Family Services.

Looking forward, Tyler hopes to offer more trainings like the situational awareness event. She noted that this training is great for anyone who volunteers or works with the public.

“There’s a lot of people who really want to do a lot of good,” she said. “We always want to be careful that we’re helping and not harming or not retriggering trauma or things like that when we’re trying to assist people. So it’s nice to have that understanding of, how do we really help in those situations?”

She noted that these skills can be useful in any situation with any person. For more information about the training or to register and save your seat, click here.

Sacred Spaces of CARE is also looking for more volunteers. To learn more about the organization and how to help or how to receive assistance, check out their official Facebook page or their official website.

If you or someone you know is struggling or in crisis, help is available. Call or text 988 or chat at 988lifeline.org.

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