Holiday funds are used all year by CdA's Kroc Center

By Kaye Hult

As many nonprofit organizations, The Salvation Army's Ray and Joan Kroc Corps Community Center in Coeur d'Alene uses the holiday months of November and December for fundraising.

"Every penny we raise through our Flannel Fest and Red Kettle collections goes to outreach, not to support community center operations," said Don Gilger, executive director.

"It all goes back into the community. It helps fund programs such as a counselor for children and families, our Third Grade Swim to keep children safe in the lake or scholarships for people and families to access to the Kroc Center offerings," he said.

The Kroc Center, which celebrated its 15th anniversary in May 2024, has developed into more than an athletic center, swimming pool and a church. Other programs include a summer camp, outreach to area schools in partnership with local churches, and social services for low-income individuals, families and groups.

"The Kroc is a gathering place," he continued.

Don and his wife Ronda, both majors in the Salvation Army, celebrated their sixth year leading the center in October.

Both are senior pastors of Kroc Church. Don's ministry includes setting the direction for the center. Ronda shares her art and teaching skills.

Don and Ronda came to the Kroc Center in 2018, soon after they returned from three years as missionaries in Moldova, which is next to Ukraine.

Ronda was the divisional commander there. Don was in charge of the business, which was all Salvation Army activities in Moldova, Romania, Ukraine and the Republic of Georgia.

"Ronda raises money as an artist to send to the Moldova Salvation Army," he added. "By now, she has sent more than $100,000."

In their roles as pastors of the Kroc Church, they lead 10 a.m. Sunday worship, as well as Bible studies during the week for women, men and teens.

"We both lean into the skills of those around us," Don said. "We learn from each place we serve. For example, we learned what it was like to be an immigrant while living in Moldova, having to adapt to different customs and not speaking the language.

 "We seek collaboration with the organizations in town, so we don't duplicate what is being done," he said. "We want to offer long-term help, not band-aid solutions."

For example, because mental health is a top need in this area, the Kroc Center brought in Tyson Durbin, a licensed counselor, as youth and family specialist. People pay on a sliding scale.

At the request of the Coeur d'Alene School District, Tyson spends a day a week at the Woodland Middle School, working with students through the Mental Awareness Club.

He sees about 12 kids at a time. They offer each other group support, deciding what to focus on and learning coping skills. Tyson, who once was a professional gamer and understands kids' struggles with social media, helps them reduce time on gaming.

"We would like to offer more counselors, setting up interns as one way to reach that goal," Don said.

The Kroc has responded to school requests through Mobile Kroc, a program in 17 North Idaho elementary schools to organize staff and students to play games at recess.

"They help the children learn not to fight with each other," Don said. "When the staff are not there, the children continue to play the games.

"We connect with churches near the schools, teaching volunteers to play games with the children," he said.

"The Kroc staff and other volunteers are not proselytizing. They are simply offering loving interaction with children, meeting them where they are," he added.

"A Sandpoint pastor volunteering at a nearby school told of a girl coming to stand by him," Don shared. "She just wanted to stand by him, even when he suggested she join the other children. Many children need that kind of support."

The Kroc and churches also provide food, fruits and even clothing for school children when they are taking tests.

In the spring of 2024, 1,900 children participated in a one-week Third Grade Swim at the Kroc. In North Idaho, where there is so much water, children need to learn to keep safe in the water.

"They can float," Don said. "They can kick to shore. They learn water safety, such as wearing a life vest. Parents are saying thank you."

A video on the Kroc Center website tells the story of a girl who fell off a boat and was able to keep safe. The lessons free children from anxiety about going into the water.

"I can be in the pool and see a baby on a raft float by, accompanied by parents," Don said. "I then look across the pool to see an 80-year-old woman who is afraid of the water but is learning to swim. That's the Kroc Center!"

Because many organizations hold Christmastime food drives, the Kroc collects food—primarily protein—in February to distribute in the five North Idaho counties.

"We have chosen a time when there's a gap to be filled," he said.

"We used to do our Clothe-a-Child program at Christmas. A volunteer would take a child to a store with $100 to buy clothes," he said, "but in recent years, we have changed from that approach.

"Now a volunteer brings the whole family and involves the parents. We are helping the whole family, giving them dignity," he explained. "The parents give $10 as an investment, for them to donate to a charity to help other families. It's them giving back."

These programs exist and flourish because of donations that come to the Kroc Center through fundraising in November and December.

Don and Ronda married 46 years ago, just out of high school.

Don had felt a call to pastor when he was 14. After they married, he worked at several jobs. In one, he served as a youth pastor at a Nazarene church, where he observed that any time someone came to the door asking for help, the church sent them to the Salvation Army.

"I asked why we couldn't just give them the help," Don recalled. "The pastor said that kind of help was the Army's specialty. The church annually sent $200 to support that."

When Don, age 20, met Bill Nottle, a Salvation Army captain, it changed his life.

"I suddenly felt I was supposed to be there," Don said. "I wanted to be part of a church that helps people and does more than just pray for them."

He and Ronda had one child at the time, with a second on the way. Both were invited to go to the Salvation Army training college in Rancho Palos Verdes, Calif. They completed the two-year seminary and were commissioned as Salvation Army officers and ordained as ministers. They could serve anywhere in the world.

At the same time, they attended Azusa Pacific University near Los Angeles, where they received associate of arts degrees.

Ronda attended Fuller Theological Seminary in Pasadena, where she received a master in theology with a concentration in youth and family.

They have been in ministry for 41 years, serving in 15 places in the western United States and other parts of the world.

"The Salvation Army is a vehicle God uses, wherever it is located," Don said. "My motivation, throughout my time with the Salvation Army, and even before, has been helping others. No one can do everything. Everyone can do something.

"The Kroc Center is everybody's center, not mine but ours. It is alive only when people are here," Don said. "Its life for 15 years comes from the people."

For information, call 208-667-1865 or email info@kroccda.org.