The Salvation Army Ray and Joan Kroc Corps Community Center Celebrates First Anniversary June 14 and 15 with Gospel Concert and Open House

Kroc Center Reaches Milestone of More than 8,000 Members and
Average Daily Attendance of 1,500 People 

The Salvation Army Ray & Joan Kroc Corps Community Center on the South Side of Chicago marked its First Anniversary with a weekend full of activities.

The Kroc Center is already making a difference to residents of the surrounding communities, 8,000 of whom have joined the Kroc Center and more than 1,500 of whom visit the Kroc Center on an average weekend day to take advantage of the vast array of programs, services and state-of-the-art facilities available at the one-of-a-kind community center.

The weekend kicked-off with a Gospel Concert for the community on Friday, June 14, at 7 p.m. featuring Grammy, Dove and Stellar Award winning gospel recording artist Kim Stratton.  The First Anniversary Celebration and Open House was free and open to the public on Saturday, June 15, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.  The event showcased the wide variety of programs and services at the Kroc Center through sports demonstrations and clinics run by the Chicago Bulls/White Sox Academy, music and dance performances by youth and adults in the Kroc Center Academy of the Arts programs, appearances by Kroc mascot R.J. Kroc and characters from Radio Disney and tours of the Kroc Center.

Lend a Helping Hand

We couldn’t do our work without the help of dedicated volunteers. They’re essential to our programs and the care we provide. We’re always grateful when friends can lend a hand!

No matter your age or skill set, we can use your help, even for just an hour here or there. If you’re interested, please email metvolunteer@usc.salvationarmy.org to learn more.

Read more of how The Salvation Army is helping in the Chicagoland area:

Reclaiming Lost Joy
How You Helped a Homeless Father of Four
I Missed Having My Own Bed!

To make a contribution, click here to donate.

I Missed Having My Own Bed!

I never thought I’d take something like my bed for granted, but when I was 12, something happened that changed my perspective on everything: My family became homeless.

We had just made a cross-country move only to learn upon arrival that all the plans had fallen apart. We didn’t have enough money for even one bus ticket back home, and we spent that first night in the bus station.

All through my teen years, we usually stayed in shelters, and I often crashed at my friends’ houses — “couch surfing” at a different place every night.

How You Helped a Homeless Father of Four

Jim was desperate. He’d recently lost his job of 10 years when the company went out of business. His car wouldn’t run. His bank was pressuring him for a mortgage payment he couldn’t make. And he had four children to feed.

At the end of his rope and with nowhere to turn, Jim called The Salvation Army and asked for help.