- December 4, 2025
As founder and director of Light the Way Volusia, Angela Heaster is constantly working with local social workers to help cancer patients with basic daily needs, ones that fall out of the realm of insurance.
Meals. Rent and utility assistance. Care packages.
Recently, one social worker told her the story of a 28-year-old single mom. The mom, who has a 3-year-old daughter, was diagnosed with stage 3 breast cancer. That would have been scary enough on its own, but having lost her own mother to breast cancer when she was 14, the diagnosis hit home for this patient, Heaster said.
On top of that, her car had broken down, so she had been walking to and from her chemotherapy appointments, and she had little family support, as they live out of town.
"So the social worker came to me and we just talked," Heaster said. "How could we help?"
They decided the best thing would be to get her quick financial help: Gift cards she could use for groceries, necessities for her daughter and transportation.
Heaster put out of a call to her network of about 75 Light the Way volunteers, and within a week, they collected about $3,500 worth of gift cards — an amount $2,500 over the nonprofit's typical goal.
This meant that, not only could they help this patient, but they could also help others in the community currently battling cancer in one go.
Heaster said she was thrilled. The community's support is vital to the nonprofit.
"Light the Way would never exist ... if it weren't for the local community caring and taking the time to help people that they don't know — that they just know the basic situation that they're struggling," Heaster said. "To me, it's just incredible what we've been able to accomplish."
Kristin Deaton was one of Light the Way volunteers who answered Heaster's call for help. Within two days, Deaton, an Ormond Beach City Commissioner, had collected $2,000 worth of gift cards.
"I love to see the locals rally around each other," Deaton said. "I really do love it. I think that if our community needs something, we have got the people to go in big for our community, and I really love that."
Deaton has been a volunteer with Light the Way since 2018. That's when her little sister was first diagnosed with colon cancer, and after finding out about the nonprofit, she helped out with a bowling fundraiser.
Her sister's cancer came back in 2023, this time stage 4, and Deaton said she saw firsthand her sister's need for additional support from their family.
"Luckily, my sister had all of us here, which was beneficial, but this single mom, unfortunately had no help," Deaton said.
In addition to the gift cards, Light the Way was also able to connect the patient to Gary Yeoman's Ford to assist with her car's repairs.
Light the Way, founded in 2014, has a constant flow in terms of helping Volusia County cancer patients, Heaster said. It's not always through gift cards. Sometimes, it's helping with groceries that meet dietary restrictions. Other times it's helping with their electric bill.
"There's always somebody in need," Heaster said. "... When helping one patient, there's going to be another one coming right behind it."
Visit lightthewayvolusia.org.
