Heaven Sent food—and thanks
Dear Editor:
In this day and age, when so much attention is focused on the negative and people are often quick to criticize the police, city government, and emergency services, I want to speak up with a very different message: one of gratitude, respect, and hope.
To the City of Kissimmee, the Mayor’s Office, the City Commissioners, the Kissimmee Police Department, and the 911/non-emergency communications staff, Heaven Sent Community Services and Veterans Assistance offers heartfelt thanks for making it possible to feed the hungry here in Osceola County and Kissimmee, Florida on Sunday, June 14.
That evening, Heaven Sent Community Services and Veterans Assistance learned that a group of approximately 25 homeless individuals near the Hart Memorial Library had gone the entire day without food. With very little time to prepare, Founding Director Joseph Ryan drew on 25 years of disaster relief experience to gather food, supplies, and equipment and rushed to the park to make sure these neighbors did not go to sleep hungry. Because of the assistance, cooperation, and professionalism of the 911 communications center and the Kissimmee Police Department, Heaven Sent Community Services and Veterans Assistance was able to remain on-site, serve everyone in need, and leave the park clean and protected.
In a world where stories about police and government are often framed in anger and distrust, what happened that night in Kissimmee was something very different. The 911 and non-emergency operators took the time to listen, review the call logs, and understand what Heaven Sent Community Services and Veterans Assistance was trying to do. The responding officers treated the situation with fairness and respect, worked to resolve a misunderstanding, and allowed the mission to continue. The leadership of the Mayor’s Office and City Commission is reflected in the training, judgment, and compassion shown by these public servants.
This gratitude comes from someone who, by all accounts, should feel deep resentment. On July 12, 2025, life changed in a way that took Joseph Ryan away from his wife and children for months. He stood up for his wife and paid a heavy price in time, separation, and pain. For anyone interested in understanding more about what happened on July 12, 2025, please read the article located at: https://heavensent- veterans- outreach. org/ from-the-desk/put. Even through that experience, and even with an autistic boy in jail whom he felt called to care for and protect while he was there, he has never lost faith in the idea that there are good people in the justice system and in government who truly want to do what is right.
What happened on June 14, 2026, is proof of that. When it mattered most—when 25 hungry people were sitting in a park with nothing to eat—these teams chose understanding over suspicion, cooperation over conflict, and compassion over bureaucracy. They allowed Heaven Sent Community Services and Veterans Assistance to do what it was called to do: feed the hungry, serve the vulnerable, and honor the dignity of every person in the community.
To the Mayor, the City Commissioners, the leadership of the Kissimmee Police Department, and the dedicated men and women of the 911 and non-emergency communications center: thank you for your service, your professionalism, and your humanity. Thank you for supporting Heaven Sent Community Services and Veterans Assistance and for showing that, even in difficult times, government and community can work together for the good of those who have the least.
Joseph Ryan
Founding Director Heaven, Sent Community Services and Veterans Assistance
Government vs. Organized Crime
Dear Editor:
Is there a difference between government and organized crime? They are similar, as one does things behind closed doors while the other keeps their doors closed.
One has power to designate the other illegal.
Both make rules for everyone but themselves. They are allowed to give themselves pay raises, insider trade in everything but will put you in jail. They both extort money from people, one by taxes and the other by threat of violence. The only thing they do not have in common is one appoints and the other has elections.
So, why is it important to vote in every election?
To choose the best candidate. Voters mostly believe what the politicians say. How do they actually vote? Neither Democrats or Republicans want to solve any problem. A problem solved is no longer a political issue for votes.
To keep slavery at bay. Do you realize most people are slaves to the government? We pay about five months’ wages to the government in taxes, and there is never enough.
Because so many do not vote, we are becoming a socialist society where many people believe the government will take care of them. So, vote for your children’s sake if not for yours. If every voter voted then no one could complain about who is in office—unless your side lost. David Searcy St. Cloud
