By: Ashmar Mandou

Just a couple of days before the scheduled June 16 grand opening of The Salvation Army Ray and Joan Kroc Corps Community Center on the south side of Chicago, Major David Harvey, Kroc Administrator and Sudie Davis, general manager, are very confident in what the center will have to offer to various children and adults in the neighborhood. “Often children in areas, such as ours, are often left with limited resources and limited opportunities,” said Major David Harvey. “Our youth in our community need nourishing; they need to be given the resources to become better individuals.”

As the solution to the shortage of programs offered to young teens on the south side, the new Kroc Corps Community Center will provide education courses, programs and activities geared towards senior citizens, classes in the performing arts, indoor and outdoor sports and fitness courses, as well as aquatics. The intent is to give kids a safe haven away from gang violence and adults the power to turn into activists in their neighborhoods. “It is extremely vital to create a space where people can come and feel safe and feel like they can contribute to the growth of their community,” said Sudie Davis. “We want to continue on with the legacy of Mrs. Joan Kroc, who invested in the young women and men in her community through various charitable donations. The center is home to all who are looking for a place of empowerment, growth, and youth-oriented fun.”

The Salvation Army Ray and Joan Kroc Corps Community Center will officially open with a full weekend of public activities on Saturday, June 16 and Sunday, June 17. The community center is a state-of-the-art facility that includes the largest array of programs in one single campus. An open house will follow Saturday’s ceremony from 11:30a.m. to 4p.m. For more information about The Kroc Center, visit www.kroccenterchicago.org.