The Education Department at The Salvation Army Ray and Joan Kroc Corps Community Center in San Francisco has the same state-of-the-art community center feel Kroc Centers are known for, providing children and families with opportunity to discover their passions within their own community.

But Education Manager Monica Rios takes the programming a step further.

The staff is trained in ACES (or Adverse Childhood Experience indicators and impact) and program funding from the San Francisco Unified School District helps pay for a behavioral specialist to better assist kids with all kinds of backgrounds. The idea is to personalize each interaction, knowing that the needs of every kid and family are different.

Rios, who is bilingual, thoughtfully considers how effective communication and learning looks for a multicultural community. Under her leadership, the team intentionally follows up with each family’s unique needs—food, family enrichment programs or referrals.

To learn more about Salvation Army Kroc Centers, visit https://www.kroccenter.org/