Salvation Army’s New Ray And Joan Kroc Community Center Helps Chicago Woman

December 14, 2012 5:00 AM By Regine Schlesinger

A donation is made as Salvation Army bell ringer Ruben Rios works outside a store November 21, 2003 on the Magnificent Mile in Chicago. Funds raised through the Chicagoland bell ringing campaign will be used year-round to help feed the hungry, shelter the homeless, give help to the hurting and restore hope to the lost. Red Kettle funds help support 34 Salvation Army social service programs throughout the city and suburbs. (Photo by Tim Boyle/Getty Images)

CHICAGO (CBS) — Harriet Reid-Hart has been a fixture since the Salvation Army’s Ray and Joan Kroc Community Center opened its doors in June on Chicago’s Far South Side.The water facilities and programs and a wellness class there have helped her lose 40 pounds.

“Now, I’m vegan,” the 66-year-old tells WBBM Newsradio’s Regine Schlesinger.

Reid-Hart says she’s been able to put away her walker and no longer needs an oxygen tank to help her breathe.

“I could only go 10 or 15 steps without stopping to take a breath,” Reid-Hart says.

Not only has the center added years to her life, she says, it has added life to her years.

“I do art and I do music. I’m in the handbell chair,” she says.

LISTEN: WBBM Newsradio’s Regine Schlesinger Reports