Dr. Kris Volcheck (front), director of the Dental Clinic at Central Arizona Shelter Services in Phoenix, explains the challenges of providing care to the homeless to Democratic lawmakers and advocates visiting April 22.

As dental director for Central Arizona Shelter Services, Dr. Kris Volcheck has treated a homeless man who used a power drill to give himself a root canal, repaired teeth rotted by crystal methamphetamine and treated countless children who have never seen a dentist.

It was enough to make Rep. Rae Waters, D-Ahwatukee, cringe.

"There's a lot of misperceptions out there, a lot of people just thinks it's those people who don't want to get a job when the reality is that everyday middle class families, people like us, are losing jobs, losing houses because of the downturn in the economy," Waters said.

Waters and other House Democrats heard Volcheck's stories and others' during an April 22 tour of the CASS facility in downtown Phoenix. Their goal: using their free time while the state budget remains in limbo to highlight programs that could face cuts.

"It's learning about the faces behind the numbers and seeing the real effect the budget has on people," said Waters, who joined Reps. Chad Campbell, D-Phoenix, and Anna Tovar, D-Tolleson, on the tour. "It's easy to sit there and look at line items and numbers; we're seeing the faces."

Each year, CASS takes in about 4,500 individuals who are homeless for a variety of reasons. The shelter provides medical and dental services as well as a bed, clean clothes, food and help finding a job.

Mark Holleran, chief executive officer of CASS, said $1.1 million of the facility's $7 million annual budget comes from the state and that cuts would shut down the shelter's family center, a division of CASS that can accommodate children.

"Most of the money we get from the state is appropriated to our family center," he said. "If that money is gone these people will have nowhere to go. Our men's shelter can't accommodate children."

Tovar said she planned to take what she learned back to the Legislature.

"What we can do with this experience is talk to colleagues and tell them what the reality is," Tovar said. "It's a responsibility for us to make sure we have that money appropriated to the right places."

Rep. Krysten Sinema, D-Phoenix, the House assistant minority leader, said the Democratic caucus plans a series of such tours.

"Every Wednesday we're going to see places that will be hurt by a lot of these cuts," Sinema said. "It's important to see how these decisions we make affect real people."