Two local veterans, Cathy McGuire and Jamie Paxton, have found different paths to serve others, each making a significant impact in her own way, since receiving honorable discharges from active military duty. While they met after leaving the military, they found their paths had crossed during their service. “We met at a Sylvania Area Chamber of Commerce event, and we discovered we both had been part of the 180th Fighter Wing in Toledo,” Paxton recalled. “Cathy has been an incredible sister-in-arms supporting our organization. She continues to serve our local heroes through her many charitable endeavors. And she helps so many people facing difficult challenges through her insurance agency,” she added.
Cathy McGuire
“It is an honor to call Jamie my friend. The work she does helping Veterans through her organization, Little Blessings Veteran and Community Outreach, is incredible,” McGuire observed. “Jamie and her board have created an equine-assisted therapy program that is helping so many Veterans, their spouses, and children. The entire program is solely dependent on donations and sponsorships. It is truly amazing,” she pointed out.
McGuire grew up realizing she was a “tomboy” who was always looking for something out of the ordinary. “I know that is one of the reasons I joined the military,” she chuckled. “But the real reason is that I am very patriotic and I love my country. I wanted to do my part to serve,” she added.
McGuire served in the Ohio National Guard from 1984 through 1992, when she was honorably discharged as a staff sergeant. “Of course, I was part of something out of the ordinary and chose to be part of the weapons load… or it chose me,” she laughed. “I loved being part of the 180th, the camaraderie, the people,” she noted.
After leaving the service, McGuire wanted to continue serving. She found the way she could best help people when she opened McGuire Group Insurance, located at 6392 Monroe St. “We have wonderful carriers, including Erie, Progressive, Frankenmuth, Foremost, Berkshire Hathaway, and many more,” she detailed. “When people face challenges, my staff and I are willing and available to help navigate through issues. We can even deal with questions regarding Medicare issues.”
That’s when Keith Silvernail comes to the rescue. Licensed to provide health insurance products and a master certified America’s Health Insurance Planner, Silvernail is in charge of the McGuire Medical Resource Center. Silvernail said his certification is accepted by all, and required by most, carriers for those agents wishing to legally sell Medicare Advantage (MA) or Prescription Drug Plans (PDPs) for the current certification year. “Medicare and Medicare Advantage can be very confusing, and I do like helping people navigate these issues,” Silvernail said.
McGuire also spends a good bit of her time and resources supporting Little Blessings and other organizations such as Blessings in Disguise, which helps Veterans and Seniors.
“Helping people is important to me,” McGuire noted.
Jamie Paxton
“My grandfather was a Purple Heart recipient, and he and I had a special bond through watching MASH. There was just something about the work hard, play hard attitude I saw that intrigued me,” Jamie Paxton remembered. She attributes those fond memories for her decision to join the military and serve for 25 years, also at the 180th Fighter Wing in Toledo, from 1992 through 2017. She was deployed to Kuwait, Qatar, and Iraq and had four career fields, including Administrative Assistant, Aviation Resource Manager, Airfield Manager, and First Sergeant, retiring as a Master Sergeant E-7.
After her retirement, Paxton realized there was a need to help Veterans and created Little Blessings.
“At Little Blessings Veteran and Community Outreach, we are more than a program — we are a lifeline. On our peaceful 18-acre horse ranch, Veterans and their families find a place of refuge, belonging, and unconditional acceptance. We honor the courage it takes to serve our country, and we stand ready to serve those who once stood for us. Every inch of our ranch was built with love, purpose, and the belief that no Veteran should ever have to face their battles alone,” she offered.
“Many of us have worn the uniform, carried the weight of trauma, and struggled to find our footing after service. We understand the darkness that can settle in when hope feels distant. That’s why we open our gates 24/7 — providing access to our facility whenever suicidal thoughts or emotions overwhelm and begin to surface. Here, Veterans know they have a safe place to breathe, reflect, and connect — any time, day or night,” Paxton pointed out.
“At Little Blessings, we are family. We are a community that embraces our heroes long after the uniform comes off, reminding them that their story still matters and their life still has purpose. With every dollar donated and every hand that reaches out in support, we continue to ensure that no Veteran ever feels forgotten — because here, they are home,” she promised
Veterans and their families throughout northwest Ohio and southeast Michigan are served through programs for Veterans, spouses, and their children with long-term mental health programs offered by licensed mental health and trauma-specific therapists. “There have been 36 graduates in our Equine-Assisted Therapy program with 12 Veterans currently enrolled,” Paxton pointed out.
Little Blessings relies on grants, donations, and sponsorships. “People or businesses can sponsor a horse, one of our dinners, a Veteran, banners, driveway signs, and other options,” she added.
In addition, a capital campaign is underway to fund new stables.