Wayne Ashley has lived in the neighborhood for 30 years. Daily, he would pass an empty stretch of land along Dorchester’s Dudley Street and wonder if anything good could come of it. Cracked asphalt and broken glass strewn across six acres were a symbol of how bleak and unsafe the urban meadow had become.

When his wife passed away five years ago, the suddenly single father worried about the future for his four daughters. And he wondered about that land. Recent development had added new housing, but Ashley was concerned, “Now what’s going to happen? More people are living in this already crowded neighborhood and where are they going to go?”

The Salvation Army Ray and Joan Kroc Corps Community Center, opened in April 2011, is the answer for many community residents. Wayne Ashley describes the 90,000 square foot center as an oasis. “I’m a contractor and I work in some of the wealthy communities around Boston. I don’t see anything as beautiful as this out there.” His smile broadens as he talks about his eight-year old daughter who comes to the after-school program with her older sister. “She is getting her homework done and she’s doing better in school. She loves Club 316 and I think it’s great that learning Bible stories is part of the program.” Thursday is her favorite day. “She looks forward to swimming all week.”

Ashley describes himself as working poor. “Like a lot of people, I guess, I’m one paycheck away.” That’s why he was so happy to learn of the free after-school program offered at the Kroc center. “As a parent, to know your child has a safe place to be after school, that’s the most important thing. Aaliyah gets her homework done, she’s made friends here, they even feed her dinner. And she eats what they cook!”

The personal touch provided by the staff at the center stands out to this single father. One day, he arrived to drop his daughter off at Kids FEAST and to his surprise, she didn’t want to go in. Talking it over, he found out that something had happened at school that upset her. After his repeated attempts to convince her to go into the program failed, one of the staff members approached. “Miss Lesa put her arm around her and it was like a magic wand. Her face completely changed. She picked up her backpack and went right into the snack room.”