Dear Friends:

Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

You won’t be surprised to read these words: there’s been a lot going on at the Kroc Center, and this Monday Letter will be entirely devoted to sharing the good news – beginning with words of thanks to Lynnette Baker (Youth Outreach Director).  Lynnette is on the frontline of Salvation Army mission, telling kids about God’s love in schools and alleys, in run-down apartment complexes and in our gym.  She always has a smile, and obviously loves the kids she serves.  She recently got to take the children ice skating, and her great joy was not in the adventure of ice skating.  Her joy was watching the kids who’ve been around welcome and help the kids who were new.  This is a snap shot of what we’re all about – transformed people helping transform people.  It’s a pleasure to share her joy with you, and to thank Lynnette for teaching our kids by her authentic example.

It’s also a pleasure to report Mayor Sanders and the City Council have agreed to maintain the current level of funding for the San Diego Commission for Arts and Culture, and to further report that Kroc Kids has been awarded another two-year grant.  But it gets even better: the grant for the next two years is double the grant for the previous two years – over $12,000.  This increase is a credit to the growth of the Kroc Kids program, with thanks to Siobhan Sullivan (Performing Arts Manager), and to the leadership of Sean Cummings (Program Director).

And speaking of theatre… if you missed the Broadway Spectacular, you missed something spectacular.  (I know.  I missed it because of a wedding in Washington D.C., and I longingly listen to stories about how well all the performers did – especially the Boyd brothers.)  As with so many other things that happen at the Kroc Center, what happened on the stage is only half the story.  We have a group of Kroc Kids raising money for a 10-day mission trip to Swaziland this summer, and they were able to raise more than $12,000 toward their goal.  We’re incredibly proud of our kids, and know this trip eternally benefit their lives and those of the children they’re going to help.

You might imagine being a Life Guard is an easy job – sit in a chair, soak in the rays, and instinctively know where there’s good food on campus.  But it’s actually a difficult, tedious, and even monotonous job.    Our Life Guards test the water for chemical levels, receive the front-line comments of our satisfied and dissatisfied swimmers, and always – ALWAYS – have to be ready to save a life.  We’ve had a few of those rescues during the recent days of spring break: when over-confident, zealous kids needed help after they discovered the pool was that deep and they didn’t swim that well.  It’s a pleasure to acknowledge Danny Beers (Aquatics Supervisor) and the Life Guards, and thank them for always keeping our swimmers safe.

This past Thursday, we paused to thank our volunteers during our annual Volunteer Appreciation Breakfast.  The 40 in attendance represented the 1,200+ volunteers who make the Kroc Center run.  The value of their time, expertise and service is incalculable.  And in recognizing our volunteers, I also need to express my gratitude for everything Jean Stein (Volunteer & Life Options Coordinator) does to facilitate the varied work of our volunteers.

And finally, we are 10 days into our Heroes With a Heart annual giving campaign.  We have more than 90 committed volunteers telling the story of The Salvation Army, and singing the benefits of Kroc Center programs.  Our goal is to raise $60,000 in 30 days to benefit our scholarship and program funds.  As of day four we raised $12,500, and I know we’ve received more gifts since then.  We need heroes, and it’s a privilege to see them emerging through this campaign.

I could go on…

…but this is what’s called a “teaser”.  We are created for community (that’s a sound bite), and everything I’ve written about in this Monday Letter is a potent reminder we need each other.  Stay tuned.

Grace,

John Van Cleef, Captain

Corps Officer