First Alert Forward: Meeting veteran needs in the St. Louis region

ST. LOUIS, Mo. (First Alert 4) - Veterans in the St. Louis area face challenges with health care, housing and transitioning to new careers, and local organizations are working to fill those gaps.

Ricardo Amezcua, a former soldier, needs dentures. He said he did not realize for 25 or 30 years that something was wrong with his teeth. A friend encouraged him to get help.

“I wasn’t going to do it,” Amezcua said. “It takes someone to push you, to help you.”

Without an insurance plan that covers dental care, treatment had been out of reach until now.

“In all my pictures on my phone, I’m not smiling,” Amezcua said.

He went to the A.T. Still University School of Dentistry and Oral Health, which is in its 10th year of providing no-cost, affordable care to veterans. The program is a passion project for Dr. Herbert Silva, a former Marine and Vietnam veteran.

“We’re getting out in the community to see people who haven’t been to a dentist in decades,” Silva said. “There are 60 dental schools in the country. We think we’re the only ones providing that level of care.”

Dental students gain hands-on experience working with the veterans. Student Ferrell Yoviene comes from a military family and recently enlisted.

“They’re not talked about enough,” Yoviene said. “You have to be able to connect with them.”

According to the CareQuest Institute for Oral Health, only 15% of veterans are eligible for dental care through the VA. Silva said a veteran must have a service-connected disability or be a former prisoner of war to qualify.

“Most of us, as veterans, are not,” Silva said.

Silva said he sees other needs among veterans. He said Missouri has 400,000 veterans, including a significant number who are homeless. He said transportation is also an issue.

“We’re trying to get them back where they can function,” Silva said. “Maybe they can go out and get a job, rediscover themselves.”

Housing for veterans

Chris Mendes works with the Veterans Community Project, a tiny home village in north St. Louis for former service members facing homelessness.

“We don’t want them to feel forgotten,” Mendes said. “We’re showing them that we’re housing you, but we’re also serving you with the dignity you deserve, that you’ve earned.”

Recent homeless counts showed 141 unhoused veterans in the City of St. Louis and another 18 in St. Louis County.

Deshauna Barber-Echols, the director of the organization, said the homes give residents a place of their own. Both she and Mendes have served in the military.

“Tiny homes are a fresh start, a moment where we can walk into a place that’s for them,” Barber-Echols said.

The village has 12 residents across nine homes. The organization also provides wraparound services to help residents transition to more permanent housing.

“Some people are coming from hopping from couch to couch or directly off the streets,” Barber-Echols said.

Asked whether people realize how many veterans are homeless, Barber-Echols said, “I don’t think they do.”

“Military service members are prideful,” she said. “We don’t share those details.”

Career transition and employment

In Missouri, the veteran unemployment rate averaged 5%, higher than the state average.

Mike Slaton, a 1-800-STRIPER franchisee, faced uncertainty at the end of his military career.

“I don’t think people understand how hard it is to transition out,” Slaton said.

Slaton went into business for himself after seeing a need for striping work in the Metro East.

“I knew I wanted to do something and bet on myself for once,” Slaton said. “There’s definitely a need for striping on this side of the river. So we just saw an opportunity.”

Getting started took help. Amy Stuchlik works with VetBiz, a St. Louis-based organization that helps veterans build on their skills to become entrepreneurs.

“Some people come to us without knowing how to start their business, but they know what they want,” Stuchlik said. “A big part of that entrepreneurship is that passion.”

Slaton took the VetBiz Boots to Business course.

“It was terrifying,” Slaton said. “I had never done anything in business, at all, just learning the ins and outs.”

Slaton said he sees a need to reach more veterans with career training and opportunities like the one he found.

“People are out there,” Slaton said. “And if they don’t find something, find a path, I could totally understand where it could be dangerous for them because they don’t know what’s next.”

Asking for help

Amezcua said it was sometimes difficult for him to ask for help. He said he called the suicide hotline twice.

“You think you can do anything, but sometimes you have issues,” Amezcua said. “I have to be honest. I called the suicide hotline twice. They walked me through the clinic on the phone.”

“Never give up. If you need someone, call someone,” he said.

Amezcua said the care will help him smile again.

“I’m older, but I still want to live my life too,” Amezcua said. “Now I can go back to life again.”

Amezcua sent a photo when his new dentures arrived a few weeks after the interview.