OTTAWA LAKE — Jamie Paxton and her organization were honored recently by a Kentucky bourbon company.
Paxton is a retired Air Force veteran and the founder and executive director of Little Blessings Veteran and Community Outreach. She was one of six U.S. veterans chosen as 2024 American-Made Heroes by Evan Williams Bourbon.
“One of my board members, Julie, found a grant through EW and applied, and then she entered me into the American-Made Hero Contest. I was one of six that were chosen out of 600 throughout the country,” Paxton said.
Little Blessings received a $5,000 grant from EW. The organization also was featured on hang tag labels of special edition bottles of bourbon.
Little Blessings, based in Ottawa Lake, is an equine therapy program Paxton started to help veterans transition back into civilian life. It also aims to prevent suicide and lessen post-trauma stress disorder.
"The grant money was used to put a veteran through our 50-week equine-assisted therapy program,” Paxton said.
The Little Blessings hang tag labels were featured on bottles of both 1783 Small Batch and Star-Spangled Evan Williams Kentucky Straight Bourbon. 1783 Small Batch is named for the year EW founded Kentucky’s first distillery.
“The bottle came out in May. I was beyond excited to know that Little Blessings Veteran and Outreach’s logo with a QR code was distributed on bottles across the country. It’s helping to spread our message of serving veterans and their families,” Paxton said.
The bottles were sold locally at Flick's Package Liquor Inc. in Lambertville, the Liquor Cabinets' stores in Temperance and Lambertville and some Kroger stores. Some buyers asked Paxton to sign their bottles.
This was Paxton’s first year in the running for American-Made Hero. Evan Williams said it selects veterans who are making a difference in their local communities. Other 2024 honorees were: Michael Caimona of Bowie, Md.; Jas Boothe of Winchester, Va.; Brooke Jackson Kahn of Mount Pleasant, S.C.; Steven Jones of Russell, Mass.; and Thomas McNamara of Spanaway, Wash.
Paxton is a retired master sergeant in the Air Force. She served 25 years and five tours overseas, including Iraq. She earns numerous commendations, including the National Defense Service Medal.
“Jamie overcame challenges as a woman in the military, ultimately becoming the first female to earn the position of first sergeant after competing against nine men,” EW said in a news release.
Previous Coverage:The mission of Little Blessings
Paxton founded Little Blessings in 2018. The organization uses equine-based programs to help veterans and their families transition back into civilian life. The five-phase program also integrates yoga, day retreats and massage therapy to assist with mental and physical rehabilitation.
“We will be launching a teen program in the fall,” Paxton said. “We have just graduated 78 military kids, ages 4-13, in our Military Kids Social Emotional Equine Assisted Learning Program (SEEAL). We have some events coming up, including the fifth annual Warrior Fundraiser on July 13 at LaRoy’s Hall. It’s open to civilians and veterans. Tickets are on our website.”
Paxton welcomes visits to Little Blessings.
“I encourage anyone who has not been out to visit our ranch to come and take a tour. They can contact me at 419-779-0342,” she said.
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EW’s American-Made Heroes program began in 2015. Since then, the company has recognized 57 veterans on bourbon bottles and donated $600,000 to nonprofits organizations that support veterans.
To learn more about the 2024 American-Made Heroes, visit american-madeheroes.com. To learn more about Little Blessings Veteran and Community Outreach, visit lbveteranoutreach.org.
— Contact reporter Suzanne Nolan Wisler atswisler@monroenews.com.
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