Experience Before the Grant.
Capacity Before the Crisis.
Heaven Sent Community Services and Veterans Assistance brings together military Veterans, disaster-response leaders, emergency management experience, healthcare professionals, Veteran advocates, homeless-outreach leadership, pastoral care, emergency communications and a growing volunteer network.
Veteran-Led • Disaster-Tested • Community-Rooted • Faith-Guided
A Leadership Team Built Around Service
Heaven Sent Community Services and Veterans Assistance serves Veterans, people experiencing homelessness, seniors, individuals with disabilities, caregivers, children and families facing crisis.
Our leadership experience reaches across the United States Navy, United States Air Force, United States Army, Army National Guard, Army Special Forces, emergency management, disaster relief, emergency medical response, volunteer fire service, amateur radio emergency communications, nursing, infection prevention, Veteran advocacy, homeless outreach, logistics, transportation and Christian ministry.
Because service is not only about forms, programs, buildings and statistics. Sometimes a frightened child needs something to hold. Sometimes a family needs to know somebody remembered them. Sometimes dignity begins with one small act of kindness.
The teddy bears and manatees represent the heart behind the Heaven Sent mission: comfort, compassion, hope and the promise that people facing crisis have not been forgotten.
Organizational Capacity at a Glance
250 Volunteers
Heaven Sent has developed a volunteer network of approximately 250 people who strengthen community outreach, Veteran assistance, disaster operations, feeding, logistics, donation management, special projects and developing Safe Harbor operations.
Multi-State VOAD Participation
Heaven Sent participates in Voluntary Organizations Active in Disaster networks in Florida, Pennsylvania, Mississippi and Louisiana.
Multi-State Continuum of Care Participation
Heaven Sent participates in Continuum of Care systems in Florida, Pennsylvania and Mississippi, strengthening relationships within homeless-response and housing systems.
VOAD Experience Since 2006
Founder and Executive Director Joseph “Joe” Ryan's involvement with the VOAD disaster-response community dates to 2006.
Veterans Assistance Since 2014
MSG Darrell Whited (Ret.), Chief Program Officer and Director of Veterans Services, has worked directly with Veterans since 2014, bringing more than a decade of Veteran-focused service experience to Heaven Sent.
144 National Disaster Operations
Joe Ryan's documented background includes participation in 144 national disaster relief operations involving FEMA and the American Red Cross.
Executive & Program Leadership
Joseph “Joe” Ryan
Joseph “Joe” Ryan is the Founder and Executive Director of Heaven Sent Community Services and Veterans Assistance and provides executive direction for the organization's Safe Harbor program.
Joe is a U.S. Navy Veteran whose emergency-service background includes service as an Emergency Medical Technician, volunteer fire service with Good Intent Fire Company 551, disaster response, emergency communications and community assistance.
His disaster background includes American Red Cross disaster operations and coordination, disaster-response instruction and FEMA-related training and response experience.
Joe's documented background includes participation in 144 national disaster relief operations involving FEMA and the American Red Cross.
VOAD & Disaster Coordination
Joe's involvement with the VOAD disaster-response community dates to 2006. That experience now complements Heaven Sent's organizational participation in VOAD networks across Florida, Pennsylvania, Mississippi and Louisiana.
Emergency Communications
Joe is a General Class Amateur Radio Operator, call sign KB3POC. His communications background also includes W5YI Volunteer Examiner and ARRL instructor experience.
His military-affiliated emergency communications experience includes the Military Auxiliary Radio System (MARS), call sign AAR3MR, along with emergency coordination and communications experience in Schuylkill County, Pennsylvania.
Continuity of Disaster Leadership
Before Heaven Sent, Joe founded and led MDR Disaster Relief and Veterans Outreach. MDR and Heaven Sent are legally and financially distinct organizations.
The disaster operations, donations management, logistics, volunteer coordination, communications and recovery experience Joe gained through MDR are part of the professional background he brings to Heaven Sent today.
Read Joe Ryan's Biography | Emergency Communications Background
Timothy “Tim” Lehman
Tim Lehman brings military, communications, technology and emergency-management experience to Heaven Sent's disaster-response leadership.
Tim served in both the United States Air Force and United States Army. His Air Force experience included leading a team responsible for installing and bringing a new data-processing facility online in the Republic of Korea.
He later served with the Pennsylvania Army National Guard and was activated during the 1996 Harrisburg-area flooding.
In 2003, Tim was called to active duty for a combat deployment to Kandahar, Afghanistan, where he served in communications and information management.
He retired from military service in 2005 at the rank of Chief Warrant Officer.
Emergency Management
Following military service, Tim served for approximately ten years as Emergency Management Coordinator for the Borough of Steelton, Pennsylvania, supporting emergency planning, exercises and real-world response operations.
He also earned professional emergency-management certification through the Pennsylvania Emergency Management Agency.
Technology & Communications
Tim brings extensive technology experience and is an Amateur Extra Class radio operator, adding communications and technical capability to Heaven Sent's disaster-response planning.
MSG Darrell Whited (Ret.)
Retired Master Sergeant Darrell Whited brings decades of military experience and more than a decade of direct Veteran-service experience to Heaven Sent.
Darrell served in the United States Army and spent decades in Army Special Forces as a Green Beret. His career included extensive operational training, overseas assignments and combat service.
Serving Veterans Since 2014
Since 2014, Darrell has worked directly with Veterans and their families, helping people understand benefits, identify resources, navigate assistance systems and move toward greater stability.
His Veteran-service experience includes counseling and coaching, benefits assistance, advocacy and experience as a certified Veteran Service Officer through Disabled American Veterans.
As of 2026, Darrell brings approximately 12 years of direct Veteran-focused service into Heaven Sent's program leadership.
A Veteran. A senior. A person with a disability. A parent. A child. A disaster survivor. A family sleeping in a vehicle. Someone who needs to know they still matter.
Teresa Caudill Whited, RN, BSN, MSN
Teresa Whited combines decades of professional healthcare experience with longstanding Christian ministry and pastoral service.
Her professional background includes hospital nursing, home health, public-health clinic work, nursing-home leadership, private-duty nursing and supervisory responsibilities.
For the final nineteen years of her professional career, Teresa served as Infection Prevention and Control Coordinator for Rush Health Systems, including service through the COVID-19 pandemic.
Faith & Pastoral Ministry
Teresa's ministry background includes Bible study, youth instruction, nursing-home ministry, prayer and pastoral support. At Heaven Sent she provides compassionate faith-centered support to Veterans, families, seniors, people experiencing homelessness and individuals facing crisis or grief.
Paul Donald Kinebrew Jr.
Paul Kinebrew brings grassroots homeless outreach, logistics, transportation experience and firsthand knowledge of the barriers facing people living without stable housing.
For approximately five years, Paul independently worked to help homeless individuals in the community even without the formal backing of a nonprofit organization.
Through that work he developed knowledge of the homeless landscape in Osceola County, including encampments, service gaps, available resources and practical barriers people encounter when attempting to obtain help.
Paul also brings approximately ten years of experience as an independent truck driver, contributing practical knowledge of routes, logistics, transportation, documentation, field conditions and supply coordination.
Norman A. Fraser
Norman Fraser brings military discipline, analytical experience, entrepreneurship and decades of life experience to Heaven Sent.
Norm served as a U.S. Army Sergeant (E-5) in Army Intelligence, developing analytical and mission-focused skills that continued throughout his civilian career.
Following military service, Norm became an entrepreneur and aviation professional.
As Secretary, Norm supports organizational records, communications, governance documentation and continuity between leadership and the Board of Directors.
Multi-State VOAD & Continuum of Care Participation
Heaven Sent participates in established disaster-response and homeless-response networks across multiple states.
These relationships connect Heaven Sent with organizations working in emergency management, disaster recovery, housing, homelessness, Veteran assistance and community services.
Florida VOAD
Heaven Sent participates in Florida's Voluntary Organizations Active in Disaster network.
Pennsylvania VOAD
Heaven Sent participates in Pennsylvania's VOAD network.
Mississippi VOAD
Heaven Sent participates in Mississippi's VOAD network.
Louisiana VOAD
Heaven Sent participates in Louisiana's VOAD network.
Continuum of Care Participation
Florida
Heaven Sent participates in Continuum of Care efforts supporting homeless-response, housing coordination and community partnerships.
Pennsylvania
Heaven Sent participates in Continuum of Care efforts supporting housing and homeless-response coordination.
Mississippi
Heaven Sent participates in Continuum of Care efforts supporting homeless-response and housing collaboration.
Two Systems — One Mission
VOAD participation strengthens disaster coordination while Continuum of Care participation strengthens homelessness and housing coordination.
Organizational Leadership Structure
Governance & Fiduciary Oversight
Founder & Executive Director
Emergency Services
Tim Lehman
Programs
MSG Darrell Whited
Pastoral Care
Teresa Whited
Paul Kinebrew
Organizational Records
Norman Fraser
Executive Direction
Joseph Ryan
Organizational & Grant Readiness
| Capacity Area | Experience & Organizational Strength |
|---|---|
| Volunteer Capacity | Approximately 250 volunteers. |
| VOAD Participation | Florida, Pennsylvania, Mississippi and Louisiana. |
| Continuum of Care | Florida, Pennsylvania and Mississippi. |
| VOAD Leadership Experience | Founder/Executive Director Joseph Ryan's VOAD-related experience dates to 2006. |
| Veterans Services | MSG Darrell Whited (Ret.) has worked directly with Veterans since 2014. |
| Disaster Operations | Joe Ryan's documented background includes participation in 144 national disaster relief operations. |
| Military Experience | Leadership experience spanning the U.S. Navy, U.S. Air Force, U.S. Army, Army National Guard and Army Special Forces. |
| Emergency Management | Emergency management, disaster operations, American Red Cross response, FEMA-related training, PEMA certification, EMT and volunteer fire-service experience. |
| Emergency Communications | Amateur Radio, MARS, technical communications and emergency communications experience. |
| Homeless Outreach | Direct grassroots outreach and field knowledge of unsheltered homelessness and community service gaps. |
| Healthcare | Professional nursing and infection-prevention leadership. |
| Faith & Pastoral Care | Christian ministry, prayer, youth outreach, Bible study and pastoral-support experience. |
The numbers demonstrate organizational capacity. The teddy bears and manatees remind us why that capacity exists in the first place: to help real people through real crises with dignity.
Leadership for Safe Harbor
Safe Harbor is a program and campus initiative of Heaven Sent Community Services and Veterans Assistance — not a separate organization.
Safe Harbor is being designed to bring multiple services together so Veterans, seniors, individuals with disabilities, people experiencing homelessness and families do not have to navigate every need through a different disconnected system.
🏠 Housing & Homeless Services
Stabilization, housing navigation and practical assistance.
🇺🇸 Veterans Services
Veteran-centered support, advocacy and service navigation.
🛠 Workforce Development
Training, employment preparation and practical skills.
📡 Disaster Readiness
Preparedness, response, logistics and emergency communications.
🍽 Food & Nutrition
Feeding, nutrition support and food-security programs.
♿ Seniors & Disabilities
Programs designed around accessibility, dignity and independence.
🧸 Families & Children
Support designed to stabilize entire households while providing children with safety, dignity, comfort and hope.
🙏 Faith & Pastoral Care
Prayer, encouragement, pastoral care and compassionate support.
Safe Harbor represents the practical side of that promise: housing, food, training, transportation, Veteran services, disaster preparedness, healthcare connections, pastoral support and people who are willing to stay beside someone while they rebuild.
Governance, Accountability & Transparency
Compassion must be supported by accountability. Heaven Sent is committed to responsible governance, financial stewardship, conflict-of-interest safeguards, documentation, program oversight and public transparency.
Board Governance
Board oversight, fiduciary responsibility, policy stewardship and organizational accountability.
Executive Leadership
Day-to-day organizational management, strategic direction and mission execution.
Program Leadership
Defined leaders responsible for Veterans, disaster relief, homeless programs and pastoral care.
Transparency
Documentation and responsible communication with funders, partners, donors, volunteers and the public.
Partner With Heaven Sent
Heaven Sent welcomes partnerships with government agencies, foundations, corporations, churches, Veterans organizations, emergency-management agencies, healthcare systems, housing organizations, workforce partners, food-security organizations, donors and community volunteers.