ALTON - Megan Tyler has always been dedicated to helping the Alton community feel better.
Get The Latest News!
Don't miss our top stories and need-to-know news everyday in your inbox.
Tyler, one of the YWCA’s ten 2025 Women of Distinction, will be honored at the Y’s annual gala for her commitment to the community. She is the founder of Sacred Spaces of CARE, a nonprofit that combats mental health and substance use disorders by working with unhoused populations, the Alton Police Department, and folks in crisis.
“It’s just a moment to be grateful for the fact that I’m allowed to be in this space because of those that came before us,” Tyler said. “Based on my background experience and also individuals that are close to me, family, friends, loved ones who have either had different mental health challenges or struggled with active addiction, suicide, things related to trauma — I decided to launch Sacred and just felt like it was something that was needed in the community.”
Before devoting her time to Sacred Spaces of CARE in 2023, Tyler was a teacher in the Alton Community Unit School District #11 and a few other school systems with “high-trauma settings.” But while she worked in the academic field, her “heart was really always in the social-emotional realm.”
She decided to start Sacred as a way to fill the gaps in the Riverbend community. She emphasized that the organization doesn’t try to duplicate services, but rather help people connect to services and engage with resources that already exist.
She noted that a major pillar of the organization's work is to educate the community about mental health, substance use, homelessness and police officer wellness, which she relates to her years as an educator. Not only does this combat the “stigma” around these topics, but it also helps people receive the help they need to live healthier, happier lives.
“I’m extremely passionate about what I do,” she said. “I feel very grateful to be in this space. While it’s very, very hard, and it takes a toll, if I’m not careful, on my own mental and emotional health, it’s also something that I get to almost wake up every day kind of pinching myself. Like, do I really get to do this?”
Tyler is also busy raising two teenage daughters, and she loves spending time with them and traveling when possible. She noted that caring for her own mental health is “a daily intentional effort” as she walks alongside others.
For those who want to know more about how to get involved with community service, Tyler has some compelling advice. She encourages people to reflect on their passions and engage with people and organizations that align with their beliefs.
“Try some things out and kind of feel what works for you and find your lane,” she said. “You might just do one piece of the puzzle, but when all of those pieces come together, then we can as a community make a difference.”
This is the first in a series of articles about the ten 2025 Women of Distinction. For more information about the YWCA’s Women of Distinction Gala, visit the official YWCA Facebook page.
If you or someone you know is struggling or in crisis, help is available. Call or text 988 or chat at 988lifeline.org.
More like this:
