"The Kroc Center has already made a
huge difference in the lives of individu-
als in the community. The area has been
transformed from a junkyard into a family
place, a fun place and a place where people
from all walks of life can feel safe among
friends," he says.
"Let me give you an example of how di-
verse our members are," Major Lynn Gensler
adds. "We were invited to a prestigious dinner
in honor of a man who was to be presented
with an award from the city of Philadelphia
for his philanthropy. The wife of the key-
note speaker was telling me how she loved
coming to swim at our center."
Major Lynn continues, "I told
her, `Well, tell all your friends about
the Kroc.' `Oh, I do,' she said, `We
all enjoy the hot tub!'"
That example shows how some of
Philadelphia's most elite and influ-
ential people are coming alongside
Kroc members who receive scholar-
ships. "They are using the same
facility; working out on the same
equipment; using the same locker
room," Major Lynn says. "It's a re-
markable thing to see!"
Captains Dennis and Sharon
Young are the Kroc Corps Officers.
The Youngs have an uncanny abil-
ity to attract people to the corps, greatly
expanding Kroc membership to the max.
"The whole premise [of the Kroc Center]
is the holistic approach to body, mind and
spirit," Captain Dennis says. "The Kroc is
part fitness center and part spiritual center.
In order to have a holistic experience, you
must make your walk with God a fit rela-
tionship. Otherwise, your physical fitness
won't matter."
The goal is to provide a good balance for
every member, helping everyone to become
both spiritually and physically fit.
"It's one thing to look good [physically],
Tyneisha Wescott leads
the Kroc Corps family in
prayer during the Sunday
morning worship service.
16
The War Cry | FEBRUARY 2015
Philadelphia, PA
The Philadelphia
Germantown Corps,
with a storied history
dating back 125 years,
was closed five years
ago to make way
for the Philadelphia
Kroc Corps. This
stained�glass was
transferred from the old
corps to the new.
In the community garden,
each crop
is grown using homemade compost
without any pesticides or chemicals
to keep each plant healthy. Good soil
is the foundation to good vegetables,
which, in turn, produce healthy people.
Kroc
Center
14-17 Kroc-PhillyPA_WCFeb15_Werk4.indd 16
1/15/15 2:01 PM