Drs. Aaron Cregger and James Schneider have been caring for multiple children and parents living in our 13 homes for several years. It’s difficult to find a dentist who accepts Medicaid, and when you do, you typically have to schedule 8 or more months out. They treat the foster children’s teeth on both an emergency basis and a preventative basis, in addition to providing ongoing care. They call in favors from specialists to perform work on their teeth, ranging from periodontal work to oral surgery to orthodontics. They not only tend to our families’ teeth, but they also take part in our annual Secret Santa exchange as well as attending fundraising events and donating to Wish Wednesday Facebook fundraisers. They make it a point to be involved in the lives of our kids beyond their dental hygiene.

“Dr. Cregger has been a blessing to my family! He treats all of my teens and myself,” says Barb Bocklage, one of our foster parents. “I cannot say enough about how much I appreciate him, as there are no words. Prior to using Dr. Cregger my foster children struggled just to get a cavity filled. Thank you Dr. Cregger for being a blessing in our lives!”

“They have always gone above and beyond for our family. Even getting colleague specialists to see a few of our boys,” says Phyllis Hackman, another 

one of our foster parents. “They continue to see us parents with insurance and they forgive any portion of the balance that our insurance doesn’t cover. They are a BLESSING.”

 

Finally, another one of our foster parents, Jennifer Tripp, tells a story of the difference Dr. Cregger makes in the lives of her kids:

Let me tell you what it was like before, myself and our foster children started visiting with Dr. Schnider and Dr. Creggers office. 

It wasn’t a pleasant experience for my kiddos. Dental clinics that take Medicaid are far a few between and not the most friendly or organized places to visit for dental needs. 

Scheduling, well let’s just say, once I scheduled my kids for an appointment, the waiting period is at least a month or longer to get them in. If an emergency happens, you take your kids into the clinic. While there, we wait most of the day to see a dentist for the emergency unless we’re really lucky. It’s exhausting for everyone! 

Once, the child is called back it’s more like an assembly line without private rooms or feeling of privacy for talking privately with the doctor. 

It’s a long drawn out experience of which I do not miss!

Now let me tell you about Dr. Schnider’s and Dr. Cregger’s office

I have been taking my kids to their office for years. There are many reasons why. 

We’re always greeted with smiles and kindness. We are always called back within 10 minutes. All of us, the entire family called back together. 

Once we get called back, we are informed of what is to take place and put into a clean private room. 

Both Doctor’s and staff are informative and answers any questions we may have. 

Everyone is so good about working with our children. They have a way of making our kids feel safe and comfortable. 

When finished up, after being treated with gentle care our kids get prizes and of course a new toothbrush and paste. How fun! 

And scheduling, never an issue. Never having to wait long especially, for follow ups. And emergency’s well, my kids are seen that day or the next morning. How great is that!! 

The fact that Dr. Schnider and Dr. Cregger and staff open up their hearts, their talents and their time to give our foster children healthy and beautiful smiles is a godsend to me and our foster children. They walk out of the office with million-dollar smiles and it’s not just because they got their teeth cleaned it because of the whole experience.

 

Also, many of our board members as well as our founder and executive director, Bess, go to these dentists. “I never thought I’d look forward to going to the dentist, but I actually do now,” says Bess. “This practice is a family, and I receive the best care possible.”

They are currently accepting new patients at their new and beautiful office located at 1000 Des Peres Rd. Suite. 130, St Louis, MO 63131.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Hours:

Monday-Wednesday 4:30am to 5:00pm

Thursday 4:30am-12pm (noon)

 

Contact:

https://www.toothfixer.net/

(314) 567-7737

Facebook page

Katie and Josh Brown have been an integral part of the Angels’ Arms family since 2011. They have treated every single child who has entered their home with love and compassion. The Browns are known for their love of the outdoors. During their time at Angels’ Arms, they have given children the opportunity to enjoy fun outdoor activities they normally would have never had.

“It’s so exciting to show kids who come to our home a whole world of experiences that they haven’t seen before,” says Katie. “Whether it’s going for a nature hike, running in their first 5k, or even just playing at a local

 park. One of my favorite memories was taking a young man on his first hike, he told me afterwards he had ‘no idea there was so much space out there to just walk around.’”

Below, we asked them a few questions about their time at Angels’ Arms:

1. How long have you been with Angels’ Arms? How many years have you been fostering total?

We have been with Angels’ Arms for 9 years and fostering for 12 years total.

2. What made you want to become a foster parent?

We both grew up understanding the need for kids to have a stable home due to our own life experiences.  It was, and still is, important to us to be a safe, stable support for kids in need.

3. How many kids have you fostered through Angels’ Arms? 

We fostered around 50 different kids during our time with Angels’ Arms.  Kids as young as 2 weeks to young adults and just about every age in between!

4. What has being a part of Angels’ Arms meant to you?

Being a part of Angels’ Arms, meant being a part of a family.  Without having many of our own family members close to us in St Louis, Angels’ Arms became like family and a strong support for us.  The love and generosity of the community not only helped the foster children we served but we also made some invaluable friendships along the way.

5. What is your fondest memory of being with Angels’ Arms? 

We have so many special memories from our time at Angels’ Arms.  One of my first memories was when we took an infant girl shortly after moving into the Angels’ Arms home.  Within less than 24 hours of asking for clothes for the girl, we had an entire porch full of clothes for her!  We hadn’t felt that kind of love and support before with fostering!  Another fond memory we have were of the monthly family activities.  The volunteers who ran those activities had such a way of making each child feel special and appreciated!  We truly looked forward to each one because it brought such joy to the kids!  

6. What’s next for you and your family?

We will miss being such an integral part of the Angels’ Arms family but with our 2 children growing up and needing more from us, we need to take a step back from taking the larger number of foster kids.  We will continue to serve children in the St. Louis area so keep an eye out, the Browns will still be around!  We want to thank each person who has been a part of our Angels’ Arms journey, you’ve made such a difference not just in our lives but in the lives of all the children we were able to foster with your support.  Thank you!

[ngg src=”galleries” ids=”13″ display=”basic_thumbnail” thumbnail_crop=”0″]As their chapter with Angels’ Arms comes to a close, we will not forget how essential they have been to Angels’ Arms’ entire story. The following is a message from our Founder and Executive Director, Bess, about how the Brown family has impacted Angels’ Arms’ mission:

Many of you have been fortunate to get to know some pretty special foster parents who have lived in our home in Winghaven for 9 years. Josh and Katie Brown have been family to many children in need over the years. But these two individuals go way beyond what foster parents are expected to do.

 

While taking kids who’ve been physically abused, sexually molested and severely neglected, they make sure that each of these children receives every available resource out there. They ensure that each child is included in all aspects of family life. In short, they truly love each and every child and teen who walks through their door.

 

I recall Josh, who’s a pilot, taking the kids on a tour of a plane. 

I recall Katie visiting incarcerated biological parents on multiple occasions and trying to keep the lines of communication open with their children. 

I recall Josh and Katie visiting the homes of the biological families to try and make the transition back home from their foster home a bit smoother.

I recall them taking children to the emergency room at all hours of the night.

I recall them ensuring the children in their care ate healthy and became physically active. They even enrolled some of them in walks and marathons.

I recall them going to church every week and ensuring the kids felt comfortable in their classes.

I recall Katie being in the delivery room with one of their teens who came to them pregnant. She was a mom to this young girl and still remains a part of her life. 

I recall Josh teaching a teen how to drive and trying to guide him in the right direction through all of his challenges. They still are in touch to this day.

And finally, I recall the day when this beautiful family adopted Zeke, a young boy full of life and tons of potential. And I recall the day they adopted sweet Olivia, a caring and lovely little girl. 

 

Please join me in sending off Josh, Katie, Zeke and Olivia Brown as they transition into their next chapter of life. They will be sorely missed by all of us, but they will always continue to do God’s work. Their journey is rooted in faith, and that’s where they get their extreme dedication and strength.

Out of an abundance of caution for our team members, foster families, volunteers and supporters, we are following CDC recommended guidelines surrounding COVID-19 and will be working remotely through April 3. Although our physical office will be closed, we will continue to be available to support our foster families on a daily basis and will provide them with resources they need to care for the children in their homes.

Also, in an effort to keep our families and supporters safe, we are limiting visitors to our homes and suspending all meal drop-offs, birthday pal sign ups and volunteer work days. These are uncertain times, but there are still things you can do to help the families living in our homes:

1. If you wish to continue to support our families with a meal, we ask that you consider making a donation on our website instead so that we can purchase grocery gift cards for the homes.
2. For those who wish to ensure our March and April birthday kids still have a birthday celebration, we encourage you to send a birthday card and include a gift card if you wish. For a list of birthdays, email Ashley@angelsarms.org.
3. Visit our Amazon wishlist and have supplies delivered directly to our families.

As far as our May 15th Sip and Savor Fundraising Event , we have not made any decision to cancel or reschedule the event but we are monitoring the situation closely and will make any future updates relating to the event via our website and facebook page.