Denton County Magazine • July August 23 • Nonprofit Focus

Every veteran must cross the bridge from active duty to civilian life, leaving behind experiences, service and friends to begin a new life. That crossover goes smoothly for some; for others, the challenges may be overwhelming – from undiagnosed post-traumatic stress to anxiety, depression, unemployment, homelessness and other roadblocks that seem impassible. They face tough times in the land of the free and the home of the brave.

In Denton County, however, a group of volunteers – veterans and civilians – formed a network more than 10 years ago to help veterans who need resources and guidance to rebuild their lives.

That network – the Denton County Veterans Coalition – enlisted a small army of its own unpaid volunteers on its board of directors. They work closely with United Way of Denton County and the Denton County Veterans Service Office (VSO) “to build structures that address the gap in services for our veterans,” said Chris Martin, president of the coalition’s board of directors and a retired U.S. Army colonel.

The coalition previously received a one-time $60,000 grant from the Texas Veterans Commission to assist veterans, but managing the funds was difficult in a volunteer-only organization.

In 2013 it morphed into a collaborative organization, and Martin has emphasized using local, outside agencies with specific veterans programs that could help, primarily because they have trained professional staff who provide those resources and specific funding for veterans programs.

“United Way of Denton County is a phenomenal organization and a great partner for DCVC,” Martin said. “They started the county’s homeless leadership team, and we work closely with them when former service members need housing.”

The coalition’s mission is to share resources and information that help veterans and their families in three key areas: emergency financial assistance, housing for homeless veterans and behavioral health care. “Our No. 1 priority is to provide emergency financial assistance when our veterans need it,” Martin said.

Several projects and events represent the coalition’s decadelong effort to help the county’s veterans: the VA Behavioral Health Center Annex on Carroll Boulevard (that is now closed); the annual Homeless Veterans Stand Down; and the Denton County Veterans Community Navigators.

With the support of Congressman Michael Burgess, the VA Behavioral Health Center Annex was funded with grant money and built by volunteers who provided sweat equity, along with businesses that donated materials, demolition and refurbishing. Unfortunately, the VA has closed that facility due to lack of funding.

The Denton County Veterans Community Navigators talk to veterans about their needs and then steer them to agencies that can help, including the Denton County VSO. The navigators program has been so successful that the county incorporated it into the VSO, located in the Jim and Mary Horn Government Center at 1505 E. McKinney St. in Denton.

Using the navigators to help veterans “is like peeling back the layers of an onion,” Martin said. “There are so many layers to uncover and then help veterans find the assistance they need. Those contacts are critical to their success. Thanks to Paul Bastaich and his VSO staff, navigators continue to help our vets.”

The coalition’s annual Homeless Veterans Stand Down event, usually scheduled in October, brings agencies, businesses and homeless veterans together to address their needs when cold winters arrive.

About 48,000 veterans live in Denton County, and approximately 10% needs behavioral health care. Only 1,700 receive those services, and about 25 to 30 of those veterans are homeless.

“We want to help them find substantial housing and supplies they need,” Martin said. “That’s why we started the Stand Down, which is held at the Denton Civic Center.” The city provides its facility free for the event.

Another well-known program, the Denton County Veterans Treatment Court, is overseen by the Hon. Forrest Beadle. The program supports veterans who are dealing with alcohol or other substance abuse and helps them build a path to a productive life by expunging minor criminal infractions.

The court established a mentorship program for these vets. The volunteer mentors are recruited by a member of the coalition’s board of directors, and several serve as mentors themselves. Mentors stand in court with their assigned veteran and check in with them weekly to provide support and guidance. Currently, more than 30 mentors are helping vets in this program.

The coalition, which is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, serves as a critical source of information services that veterans can access. Although fundraising efforts need to grow, the coalition participates in North Texas Giving Day, held annually in September, so that community and corporate donors can contribute funds to help veterans. Some 95% of funds raised go directly to veterans. It also receives an open annual grant from the Pat and Gill Clements Foundation.

In essence, the Denton County Veterans Coalition coordinates a network of organizations and resources with United Way, Denton County (especially its Veterans Services Office) and other service organizations to provide help to veterans from all branches of service and all walks of life.

Martin’s motto sums up those important efforts: “It’s great to be a veteran in Denton County!”

One morning in 2018 as he gazed into the mirror at his reflection, homeless Navy veteran Kevin Sample said to himself out loud, “Kevin, you’re better than this.” After a stay at the Monsignor King Outreach Center in Denton, Sample packed his bag and left, promising himself that he would never return.

It was a turning point for the Dallas native who fought in two Gulf wars after joining the Navy to see the world. On this day, he traveled across town to the VA Behavioral Health Center Annex on Carroll Boulevard, determined to get help.

“I knew I needed to fix my problems,” he recalled. “I realized that I had become only a shadow of a man, wandering the streets, not knowing what I wanted to do. It was a real moment of clarity for me.”

That’s also how he learned about the Denton County Veterans Coalition, which partnered with other agencies, businesses and the VA to open the veterans center in Denton.

“I am a product of the Denton County Veterans Coalition, and I am so thankful for the Veterans Center,” Sample said. “It got me where I am today. I found a place to live, a car and a job. They saw me as a whole person and helped me. They changed my life.”

Following six years, seven months and 23 days on active duty, the Navy veteran wandered across the country aimlessly and finally returned to Dallas. Facing a failed marriage, homelessness and legal troubles, he found himself in that city’s Veterans Court, where he received help for his posttraumatic stress, anxiety and depression.

“I started to understand more about what I had been dealing with and why. It was a breakthrough for me because I understood, opened myself up and accepted the help,” Sample recalled. “I was on a path of self-destruction, and the assistance helped me tremendously.”

Many veterans go through similar issues when they leave the military, he said. “You’re young and impressionable, go off to war and come back different. You don’t look at things the same way anymore.”

Since he started his journey with help from the coalition, Sample is no longer homeless and has worked at Denton’s Habitat for Humanity ReStore for five years. He worked his way up from an associate on the floor to assistant manager and then to store manager, a position he’s held for three years. He is very happy in his role.

“I love helping families who come in and are getting homes,” Sample said. “Seeing their faces makes me happy and reinforces my belief that we should trust the process – my motto now. I love helping people. It’s the best and real version of me because everything else has been stripped away.

“This is who I am and everything I’m supposed to be. I need to give and to do whatever I can. You have to be willing to step out, help and work. Nothing is free – you have to work for it.”

With the coalition’s assistance, Sample knows where to get services when he needs them. “I know what the coalition does. They care about me as a vet, and they want to see me succeed and flourish. They really care.”