Issue link: http://read.dmtmag.com/i/418074
territorial newS >> 'We're a corps!' Kroc Center opens in Camden, N.J. O n October 4, the Salvation Army's Ray & Joan Kroc Corps Com- munity Center opened its doors to the public with a ribbon–cutting cer- emony and much fanfare. The 120,000– square–foot facility located on 24 acres on Harrison Avenue welcomed as many as 2,500 visitors. Commissioners Barry C. and E. Sue Swanson, territorial leaders, members of the cabinet, religious and political leaders of Camden, and a host of community residents attended the event. Commis- sioner Barry Swanson said, "I greatly ap- preciate and celebrate the fact that this Kroc Center project takes us back to the very roots of The Salvation Army…. This is a new day, a new opportunity, and a new moment!" Major Paul E. Cain, Tri–County Coordi- nator and the center administrator, said, "We were very pleased that the Commis- sioners Swanson and the territorial staff came to celebrate with us. It's really im- portant for our community to stand with them, cut the ribbon with them, shake their hands, and say, "thank you!" More than 7 years in the making, this state–of–the–art facility was a long– awaited and a greatly anticipated addi- tion to the community and the 6 th Kroc Center to be built in the Eastern Territory. Situated on a former landfill, the corps community center will now be known as a hub for recreational, health, educa- tional, cultural, and spiritual program- ming for the 76,000 residents living in a city ranked as the poorest and the most dangerous in the United States. "We have a rule of thumb here that says the words Kroc Center and corps are interchangeable," said Major Cain. "The other day, someone asked, 'where are the corps activities held at the Kroc Center?' Well, to us, that's doublespeak because everything that happens at the Kroc Center is the corps." For years, the city has been a place of great economic struggle, poverty, and street and organized crime. "When Kroc center projects were on the drawing board, Camden was one of the first cities to be considered," said Cain. Jobs are sorely needed in Camden. "We've provid- 6 November/December 2014