Family Life and Education Center

The largest direct provider of social services in Chicago, The Army has been serving people in need here for 125 years. The Army already operates 28 community centers in neighborhoods across the greater Chicago area, providing education and training programs for youth and adults.

The Kroc Center will offer an array of classes and educational workshops for people of all ages, including job training, GED preparation, computer literacy, financial planning, parenting, nutrition and more.

Families will be able to come to the Kroc Center together. A mother can arrive in the morning, take her toddler to the drop-in child care center and take an exercise or computer class. Dad can drop by to work out and attend a financial planning workshop, while his daughter takes a dance class or receives tutoring. There will be limitless ways for families to enjoy the Center together.

Membership to the Center will be available to all. Gifts to the endowment will help to ensure that no one will be turned away due to inability to pay. Working with local schools, the Kroc Center will fill gaps in curriculum, leading to students with better grades, higher school attendance rates, higher graduation rates, higher employment rates and future career success.

The community surrounding the Kroc center is primarily African-American, a segment of the population especially hard hit by diabetes, asthma, obesity, HIV/ AIDS, high blood pressure, breast cancer and injuries caused by violence. The Center aims to impact health outcomes through health education, early screening and intervention, family counseling, conflict resolution and physical fitness.

The Salvation Army takes a constructive approach to reaching out to troubled youth, pro-viding them with alternatives to abusing drugs or joining gangs.

The 5,000-square-foot atrium will be a large, light-filled multi-purpose gathering space for community events, exhibitions and other activities.  Banquet rooms adjacent to the auditorium  will also be available for events.

Programs will focus on helping young people develop competencies, problem solving, creativity and conflict resolution. Caring staff and volunteers will serve as mentors and role models of responsibility, integrity, honesty, fairness, social justice and equality.

The Kroc Center will be a community of people being served and serving others, people being known and knowing others, people being celebrated and celebrating others.

Family Life and Education Center Offerings

•  Before- and after-school programs
• Tutoring
• Summer, winter and spring break camps
• GED and adult education classes
• ESL classes
• Employment training and placement
• Financial planning classes
• Computer lab/Internet access
• Parenting classes
• Family counseling
• Health screenings, wellness and nutrition education
• Stress and anger management
• Violence prevention and safety
• Drop-in child care for parents during classes
• Senior citizen center
• Teen center
• Interior open-air courtyard for safe indoor play
• Emergency services (rent, food and utility assistance)   
• Café with food court