Dennis Matthews co-founded New Smiles for Veterans to help veterans have access to free, quality dental care.
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Healthy smiles are for everyone, which is why an Ephraim organization is helping fill the gaps in VA healthcare by matching veterans with dental providers. There are many healthcare costs
covered by the United States Veterans Affairs, but total dental care is not one of them. That’s where Dennis Matthews and his non-profit organization, New Smiles for Veterans picks up the
slack.
Read the story from KSL.com by Jasen Lee.
Public camping on the Jordan River Parkway Trail in Salt Lake City has become a contentious issue, balancing the needs of homeless individuals with the preservation of public space. Despite a Supreme Court ruling allowing cities to enforce anti-camping laws, the humanitarian crisis persists. Tammy and her husband, unable to find housing, live near the river.
Solutions Utah, led by Dale Keller, addresses homelessness through policy advocacy and clean-up efforts. Keller’s team initiated large-scale clean-ups in 2005, removing tons of garbage. Campers often receive minimal notice to vacate, despite rules requiring 48-hour warnings.
Tammy shares concerns about crime and insufficient support, desiring a sanctioned campground with basic facilities and security. While Keller supports this idea, bureaucratic resistance hinders progress. As enforcement increases elsewhere, the future for Salt Lake City’s homeless remains uncertain.
How one man transformed from a hardened life of a homeless, heroin-addicted criminal to becoming a strong, self-reliant construction manager.
A challenge to the $2 billion taxpayer funded Little Cottonwood Canyon gondola is in the works. What else could that much money be used for?
Gondola Works was the successful PR and marketing campaign that dazzled UDOT and UTA board members and gained the support of enough Wasatch Front Regional Council members to approve the overall $26 billion plan.
The overriding questions are, Why should we be putting so much energy into a $26 billion plan that only focuses on transporting mostly elite skiers up to our mountains? How does this massive investment help average Utahns?
In the heart of Salt Lake City, where the LDS Church sends aid to every corner of the globe, a growing humanitarian disaster is unfolding just blocks away.
Homeless encampments are dismantled, lives disrupted, and still, there’s no lasting solution in sight.
So why can’t Utah’s political leaders get it right?
Homeless advocate Robin Pendergrast pulls back the curtain on the state’s broken system, revealing why temporary fixes like pods and camps are dismantled, and how grassroots efforts are the only thing keeping hope alive.
“Instead of helping, we’re tearing down camps, bulldozing lives, and offering no place for these people to go,” Pendergrast says.
Read on to find out why Utah’s war on homelessness is making things worse, and what needs to happen next.
