Actress Kerry Cahill of The Walking Dead partnered with Help Heal Veterans this past weekend at Walker Stalker Con Atlanta 2018 to hand out therapeutic craft kits to veterans while engaging with fans.
In 2009 Cahill's father who was a veteran lost his life during a terrorist attack at Fort Hood, Texas he rushed the gunman in an attempt to save other lives. In 2010 he was awarded the Secretary of the Army Award for Valor. Michael's selflessness and dedication for our military and veterans will live on through his daughter Kerry, an advocate for supporting veterans' health. Kerry felt inspired to carry out her father's legacy in 2017 by partnering with Help Heal Veterans to create a meaningful wristband craft kit that replicates the one he wore daily.
Walker Stalker Con Atlanta brought in thousands of people from all over the country, which made for a remarkable opportunity to spread the word of how important taking care of returning veterans is, and how Help Heal Veterans champion this cause through therapeutic craft kits. Actress Kerry Cahill and Mike Fisher, Help Heal Veterans Vice President of Development were able to engage with veterans and open their eyes to opportunities that they did not know they have at HHV.
Help Heal Veterans works closely with veterans and clinicians to provide the right kit to meet the veteran's specific needs to help ease vets suffering during their transitions to civilian life and long after. Crafting for just 30 minutes a day reduces stress, increases dexterity, and provides comradery. HHV craft kits have designated difficulty levels 1-5, we encourage everyone not to knock it till they try it, those who had self-proclaimed themselves as not crafty, or creative, found that they tapped into a hidden artsy spirit they did not know they had. The craft kits even instilled a renewed sense of confidence.
The Cahill wristband kit can be mailed directly to homebound veterans, as well as crafted right in HHV Community-Based Arts & Crafts Centers, which expand services to all veteran and military medical patients across the nation. This kit, in particular, is more than just a wristband, this wristband stands as a reminder for the sacrifices that Michael Cahill made that day on Fort Hood for others, as well as the sacrifice that those overseas make every day to make our nation safer. The Cahill wristband is a sturdy leather band with two trendy western style buckles that wrap around and clasp at the top of the wrist. It is finished off with an embossed Michael Cahill personal signature. The goal at Help Heal Veterans is to give veterans another resource in which to heal. The Cahill wristbands are just a small memento of the sacrifices that veterans make, while allowing them to heal at the same time.
