The Salvation Army and the Kroc Center

Documented in the city by 1915 — the Carroll Street building, 1946 — the Kroc Center opened January 2012

Arrival: The Salvation Army's South Bend arrival year is not established in the sources reached for this account, and it is not guessed. The documented footing begins in the First World War era: at the union Thanksgiving services of November 1915, the South Bend News-Times reported, the Salvation Army and the Rescue Mission gave food. In 1946 the Army built at 540 South Carroll Street, a combined office and welfare center documented in the University of Notre Dame's Building South Bend architecture survey; the Carroll Street building remains a worship and activity center of the corps today.

The Kroc Center: The Army's modern South Bend institution is the Ray and Joan Kroc Corps Community Center at 900 West Western Avenue — 110,000 square feet on twelve acres, the only Kroc Center in Indiana. Its possibility was Joan Kroc's bequest to the Salvation Army for centers in underserved cities; the bequest's own story belongs to Major Donations, and this entry carries the institution. The figures print from their years: the city's release of 14 August 2007 described a 40,000,000-dollar Kroc gift conditioned on a 10,000,000-dollar local campaign and pledged 1,000,000 dollars of city money; the center's own account gives the combined capital-and-endowment grant as 70,000,000 dollars. The two figures are different accountings from different years, and they stand side by side unreconciled. Construction began in May 2010, and the center opened in January 2012.

Sources:

1. South Bend News-Times, 24 November 1915 — the Salvation Army and the Rescue Mission giving food at the union Thanksgiving services.
2. Building South Bend (University of Notre Dame architecture survey) — 540 South Carroll Street, built 1946 as the Salvation Army's offices and welfare center.
3. Salvation Army Kroc Center, South Bend (mykroc.org), About pages — the 70,000,000-dollar combined capital-and-endowment grant; 900 West Western Avenue; 110,000 square feet on twelve acres; the only Kroc Center in Indiana.
4. City of South Bend, release of 14 August 2007 — the 40,000,000-dollar Kroc gift, the 10,000,000-dollar local campaign condition, and the city's 1,000,000-dollar pledge.
5. Salvation Army and City of South Bend announcements, 2010–2012 — construction begun May 2010; the center opened January 2012.