- November 16, 2024
-
-
Loading
Loading
Troy Magnuson, Jase Stoker, Donovan Brady, and Dylan Kubak, all graduated from Matanzas High School in May, and are headed to Cape May, N.J. and the U.S. Coast Guard. Courtesy photo
Cathy Heighter-Moore. Haven Hospice community liaison, poses with fabric used for some very special quilts. Courtesy photo
After graduating in May, Troy Magnuson, Jase Stoker, Donovan Brady, and Dylan Kubak, will be following in Donovan's dad, John N. Brady's footsteps, into the U.S. Coast Guard.
Brady retired at Sr. Chief Petty Officer in 2007, and began a second career in law enforcement, a Seaport Security Manager for the Brevard Sheriff's office.
Jase and Dylan will be sworn into the Delayed Entry Program, on Thursday, Aug. 20, and onto boot camp at Cape May, N.J., Oct. 6.
Troy and Donovan will ship out to boot camp in Cape May, on Sept. 1.
Haven Hospice quickly realized what a great veteran resource it had in Cathy Heighter-Moore.
Heighter-Moore recently joined Haven Hospice as a community liaison in New Smyrna Beach. As a community liaison, she is responsible for connecting with the community on all levels. Some of those levels include, but are not limited to, churches, funeral homes, healthcare events, councils on aging, healthcare associations and government agencies.
She started a non-profit organization about a year ago appropriately named Remembering Vets, Inc. but has been a voice for the veteran community for over a decade. Through her non-profit organization she started a program called Quilts of Honor whose mission is to recognize veterans throughout the area by presenting them with hand-sewn quilts.
“I have been a long-time advocate for veterans. I am the mother of a fallen hero. I lost my son in Iraq in 2003,” said Heighter-Moore, the chapter president of the American Gold Star Mother’s Inc. (AGSM) Daytona Beach Chapter. AGSM is a nationwide organization made up of mothers of fallen heroes with an overarching mission of serving veterans and military families.
Heighter-Moore said she became involved with Haven after working on the Quilts of Honor project, with Haven Hospice Bunnell, veteran coordinator, Jean MacAllister. The Quilts of Honor is a project that recognizes veterans for their service by presenting them with a custom-made quilt.
“We started presenting the quilts to Haven’s veteran patients through Jean. I wanted to get involved with Haven because I really believe in its mission, core values, initiative and what they do for the community,” said Heighter-Moore. “I would like to thank our quilters, because without them this wouldn’t be possible. We have two large groups of quilters that donate to the organization, one is out of Camp Blanding, and the other is out of Mt. Dora.”
In addition to her involvement with the Quilts of Honor program, AGSM and many other veteran- focused groups in Volusia County, Heighter-Moore has been very supportive of the Healing of the Wounded Spirit Memorial. The Healing of the Wounded Spirit Memorial was a project started by AGSM Debbie McLean, to honor her late son, United States Army Sargent David LaDart and all American casualties of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder and Traumatic Brain Injury.
The memorial is scheduled to be completed by Memorial Day 2016, in Palm Coast’s Heroes Park, and is intended as a place of inspiration and comfort for military service members, veterans and American Gold Star Families.
