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Former resident Glenn reflects on the impact of dental work and lasting support from Veterans Community Project.
It was his birthday, and getting his teeth pulled made it a happy one.
That was the case for Glenn, an Army Veteran whose dental health had been deteriorating while he was experiencing homelessness before moving into a Veterans Community Project (VCP) Village.
The Louisiana native now smiles broadly while reflecting on the experience in the living room of his own apartment (while, symbolically, a small, big-mouth alligator mold looks on from his coffee table).
“The night that my teeth came in, my son took me to Chili’s, and I was able to eat my first piece of corn on the cob in years,” he said, continuing, “I literally cried.”
Those tears were brought on by the generosity of a local dentist, Dr. Mitch Blacker of Blacker Family Dental, who built a fully equipped dental room at Veterans Community Project of Kansas City where he provides pro-bono services to Veteran residents in need.
The new smile was one of many life changes during his stay at the Village from 2019 to 2021. Before moving into his 240-square-foot tiny home, Glenn was living out of his car while working at an auto parts store. “I just could never get ahead financially,” he says. But during his stay, he worked closely with his VCP case managers Jessica Pierce and Darcy Picklo to, among other things, increase his credit score from the 400s to the 700s.
They also helped him secure his current employment as a forklift operator for a manufacturer building electric “yard dog” terminal trucks that are distributed for use across the country.
“I don’t go to work… I go to a place of play, and they pay me to do it,” he laughs. “I love my job.”
While happy with his current path and the road ahead, Glenn is also open in acknowledging tests to his mental health amid the challenges of life. He turns serious when talking about the last days of what was a toxic relationship, and a moment of potentially life-saving intervention by his dentures.
“[The relationship] crushed me,” he reflects. “On that last day a year and a half ago, I got up from the dining room table. I walked into the bedroom. I cocked my gun. I put it in my mouth.”
He continued, regaining a near smirk, “But, it turns out, God has a sense of humor sometimes. Because the first thing that ran through my mind was, ‘I should probably take my teeth out before I do this.’ And you know what, I laughed… and I set the gun down.”
Shortly thereafter, an emotional Glenn walked back through the doors of VCP in search of the support, saying, “I knew that somebody at VCP had my back, so I went there.”
Notably, we are equipped to connect Veterans in crisis with mental health resources. We screen hundreds of Veterans every year for suicide prevention through the Staff Sergeant Parker Gordon Fox Suicide Prevention Grant Program.
Today, Glenn continues to work on his mental health. To that end, he has committed to the signature five-day journey program from fellow Veteran-focused nonprofit The Battle Within.
Back at his apartment, as he picks up the alligator mold, he also points out the decorative elements that pay tribute to his experience at VCP, like a hand-sewn quilt given to each resident on move-in day and a wooden flag crafted by students at a high school adjacent to the Village.
He says that Veterans Community Project is a part of his life story, and he has a simple message to potential supporters considering making it a part of their own.
“We all go through something,” he says. “And you have no idea how much it means to be able to go from nothing to those 240 square feet. From there, if you’re willing to work within the structure of the VCP program and do what it takes to get yourself right, the opportunities are endless.”
Your support today can create the opportunity of a lifetime.
If you or an immediate family member are experiencing issues leading to suicidal thoughts or actions, get 24/7, confidential crisis support right away via the Veterans Crisis Line by dialing 988 then pressing 1.
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