Mayor Newsom Joined Hundreds of Community Partners and Neighborhood Residents to Celebrate Dedication of New Center in Tenderloin

On Friday, June 27 Mayor Gavin Newsom joined nearly 700 community partners, neighborhood residents and Salvation Army executives in celebrating the dedication of The Salvation Army's Ray & Joan Kroc Corps Community Center and Railton Place in the heart of San Francisco's Tenderloin at 240 Turk Street. Members of the Kroc family were also present and spoke during the dedication ceremony. The building will be open to the public in August.  The San Francisco location is the first of 30 similar centers to open nationwide. In 2004, Joan Kroc donated approximately $1.5 billion to The Salvation Army, specifically for the development of community centers across the country, similar to the landmark Ray and Joan Kroc Corps Community Center in San Diego.  This $57 million center is the largest redevelopment project The Army has undertaken in its 125-year history in San Francisco.

The day began with a private luncheon in the dance studio, followed by the standing-room only dedication that took place in the gymnasium. There were tours offered after the dedication and the day ended with a free community carnival, attended by approximately 900 neighborhood children and their parents.   

 "We have taken great strides to tailor this center to the needs of this community, and we look forward to opening the doors to welcome the public who may not have access to the kinds of recreational, educational and spiritual programs and services we'll offer here," said Major George Rocheleau, administrator of the new building.  "Mrs. Kroc designed her gift so that communities would have to demonstrate a strong commitment to the idea in order to receive funding, and our donors in San Francisco have proved they are invested in the project for the long-term, as we are."

The Salvation Army expects to serve more than 2,000 people annually at the 135,380 square-foot Kroc center in the Tenderloin district of San Francisco. Designed by Herman & Coliver: Architecture, it includes an array of recreational and educational components for youths and adults and will be open to the public at low cost. Some of these features include: a college regulation gymnasium with Desso Armstrong Linoleum Line of Multipurpose Sports Flooring, dance studio, fitness center, climbing wall, outdoor courtyard, activity rooms for mentoring and education, a swimming pool and a traditional Salvation Army worship center.  There will also be a game room, computer lab and library.

Adjacent to the San Francisco Kroc Center is Railton Place, a separately funded 113-unit, transitional and permanent residence program for individuals who can not afford housing of their own. This facility was also designed by Herman & Coliver: Architecture.  Of these units, 27 will be provided to youths between the ages of 18-24 who have "aged out" of the foster care system.  Another 83 units will be available to chronically homeless adults and veterans.  Three units will be available for resident managers. 

The building is "green", meeting all Tax Credit Funding energy savings and sustainability requirements. The most innovative feature is the natural day-lighting of the gymnasium, using sky-lights, even though the site is in downtown San Francisco.  The housing wraps around the gymnasium, leaving the 7,000 square foot gymnasium roof open to the sky, creating a rooftop courtyard.  Skylights piercing the floor of the courtyard, bringing light down into the gymnasium below, were designed by a day-lighting engineer to substantially reduce the need to artificially light the gym during the day.

The Salvation Army has had a presence in the Tenderloin since 1886.  It opened up a community and housing center at 240 Turk Street in the late 1970s, buying an old building constructed in 1906. It was in desperate need of rehabilitation and did not meet San Francisco building code standards.  About two years into a fundraising campaign to raise the money needed to revitalize the building, The Salvation Army received Joan Kroc's legendary gift and we revised our plans to develop a Kroc Center on this site, per the parameters of Joan Kroc's bequest.

San Francisco was chosen by The Salvation Army as a Kroc center site during a two-year application process, in which nearly 100 other cities nationwide vied for a piece of the $1.5 billion legacy gift.  Each of The Salvation Army's four territories accepted applications from within their region and, to date, 29 other sites have been confirmed or are in the final selection phase for a Kroc Center.  The Salvation Army expects to open its second Kroc Center in Atlanta in September 2008, as well as nine others in 2009 in: Coeur d'Alene, ID; Salem, OR; Ashland, OH; Dayton, OH; Massena, NY; Grand Rapids, MI; Omaha, NE; Memphis, TN; and Augusta, GA. Other Kroc sites are expected to include: Louisville, KY; Philadelphia, PA; Kerrville, TX; Morgantown, WV; Biloxi, MS; Quincy, IL; Chicago, IL; Staten Island, NY; Green Bay, WI; South Bend, IN; Greenville, SC; Detroit, MI; Tidewater (Norfolk), VA; Boston, MA; Kapolei, HI; Charlotte, NC; Phoenix, AZ; Long Beach, CA; and Camden, NJ

As part of the application, the local Salvation Army in San Francisco secured funding for approximately half the cost of construction as well as a $33 million operating endowment that will sustain the project indefinitely. Each site has similar financial obligations and application procedures to meet.

The entire Kroc program was modeled on a facility in San Diego, CA that has achieved outstanding success since it opened in 2002 through a separate $87-million gift from Mrs. Kroc. That center transformed a nondescript, underserved community in Southern California and now serves more than 3,000 people annually.

The Salvation Army Recieves a $25,000 Grant from the UPS Foundation
Grant for Computer Lab in New Community and Housing Center in Tenderloin

The Salvation Army received a $25,000 grant today from The UPS Foundation, the charitable arm of UPS (NYSE:UPS). The grant will go towards equipment and set up for a computer lab in The Salvation Army's Ray & Joan Kroc Corps Community Center and Railton Place located in the Tenderloin neighborhood. 

The 135,380 square-foot housing and community center will serve approximately 2,000 people every year. The facility includes an array of recreational and educational components for youths and adults and will be open to the public at low cost.  In addition to a computer lab, other features include: a college regulation gymnasium, dance studio, fitness center, climbing wall, outdoor courtyard, activity rooms for mentoring and education, a swimming pool and a traditional Salvation Army worship center.  There will also be a game room and library.  The building will be dedicated on Friday, June 27.

The San Francisco location is the first of 30 similar centers to open nationwide. In 2004, Joan Kroc (wife of the late Ray Kroc, McDonald's founder) donated approximately $1.5 billion to The Salvation Army, specifically for the development of community centers across the country, similar to the landmark Ray and Joan Kroc Corps Community Center in San Diego.  This $57 million center is the largest redevelopment project The Army has undertaken in its 125-year history in San Francisco.

"Mrs. Kroc designed her gift so that communities would have to demonstrate a strong commitment to the idea in order to receive funding, and clearly UPS has shown they are invested in the project for the long-term, as we are." said Ernst Bauer, Director of Development for The Salvation Army's Golden State Division. "The UPS Foundation is partnering with us to help create an environment in which children and families can learn and grow.  We are fortunate to have such corporate support. " 

Established in 1951 and based in Atlanta, Ga., The UPS Foundation identifies specific areas where its backing clearly impacts social issues. In support of this strategic approach, The UPS

Foundation has identified the following focus areas for giving: non-profit effectiveness, economic and global literacy, encouraging diversity, community safety and environmental sustainability.

In 2007, The UPS Foundation distributed $46.4 million worldwide through grants that benefit organizations or programs such as The Salvation Army and provide support for building stronger communities.

"UPS has a long-standing commitment to making communities all over the world better by supporting organizations and engaging over 400,000 employees in community services worldwide," said Lisa Hamilton, president of The UPS Foundation. "Together with nonprofit partners such as The Salvation Army, we work to make a positive impact on the lives of people in need." 

About The Salvation Army: Since 1883, The Salvation Army has been serving the San Francisco Bay Area, offering practical support, spiritual comfort and a critical safety net to people in need.  The Army has 15 facilities throughout San Francisco providing a myriad of services, including youth programs, meal delivery, drug and alcohol rehabilitation, transitional housing, and nutritional and housing support for seniors. Contact: Jennifer Byrd, Public Relations Director, The Salvation Army 415.553.3524; cell: 415.359.4508, jennifer_byrd@usw.salvationarmy.org

The Salvation Army Gets Full Deloitte "Impact"
Deloitte Volunteers at New Community
and Housing Center in Tenderloin As Part of Its "IMPACT DAY" on June 6

Deloitte sent 50 volunteers to The Salvation Army's Ray & Joan Kroc Corps Community Center and Railton Place in the Tenderloin as part of its outreach on its annual IMPACT Day.  The volunteers arrived at 8:00 a.m. on Friday, June 6 at 240 Turk Street to outfit the 110 units of studio-apartment housing at Railton Place.

Now in its ninth year, IMPACT Day is a one-day celebration of Deloitte's year-round commitment to workplace volunteerism. The Salvation Army event is just one of the hundreds of events to be attended by Deloitte's 40,000+ employees across the nation.  Volunteers will use their business skills to the benefit of nonprofits in their local communities.

The 135,380 square-foot Ray & Joan Kroc Corps Community Center and Railton Place will serve approximately 2,000 people every year. The $57 million center in San Francisco is the first of 30 similar centers to open nationwide. In 2004, Joan Kroc (wife of the late Ray Kroc, McDonald's founder) donated approximately $1.5 billion to The Salvation Army, specifically for the development of community centers across the country, similar to the landmark Ray and Joan Kroc Corps Community Center in San Diego. 

Adjacent to the San Francisco Kroc Center is Railton Place, a separately funded 110-unit, transitional and permanent residence program for individuals who can not afford housing of their own. This facility was also designed by Herman & Coliver: Architecture.  Of these units, 27 will be provided to youths between the ages of 18-24 who have "aged out" of the foster care system.  Another 83 units will be available to chronically homeless adults and veterans.

"The volunteers have their work cut out for them! They will be unpacking boxes, furnishing kitchens, making beds - the works!" said Major Dawn Rocheleau, administrator for Railton Place. "More importantly, though, they will each be creating a home for the people who come to live at Railton Place. That is volunteer work beyond measure. We are fortunate that Deloitte has included us in their great outreach effort on this day." 

"We believe that the most valuable asset we can contribute to nonprofits is our intellectual capital and business knowledge," said Mark Edmunds, Regional Managing Partner, Northern Pacific Region, Deloitte & Touche LLP. "Helping vital Bay area nonprofits to become stronger organizations is the most lasting contribution we can make to our community."

About Deloitte, as used in this document, "Deloitte" means Deloitte LLP.  Please see www.deloitte.com/about for a detailed description of the legal structure of Deloitte LLP and its subsidiaries.

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