The concept of a Salvation Army community center on the Mississippi Gulf Coast first began in 2002 with a $2 million donation from Joan Kroc, widow of McDonald’s franchise founder Ray Kroc. Although the project was delayed due to the devastating effects of Hurricane Katrina on the Mississippi Gulf Coast, our leadership’s vision never wavered. The project scope continued to expand, and in 2009, the final tally culminated in a multi-million-dollar gift from The Salvation Army, courtesy of a donation from the estate of Mrs. Kroc, to Gulf Coast residents for the construction and future operation of The Salvation Army Ray and Joan Kroc Corps Community Center.

The Salvation Army Ray and Joan Kroc Corps Community Center, known as The Salvation Army Kroc Center,  opened its doors to the public on September 19, 2011. Mrs. Kroc made a $1.5 billion donation to The Salvation Army to build “Kroc” Centers around the U.S. Today there are 26 centers located around the country.

In keeping with Mrs. Kroc’s charge that every Kroc Center be a beacon of hope and an agent of change in an under-served community, the Salvation Army Kroc Center is located in the very heart of the East Biloxi Community, at the historic Yankie Stadium. The Center provides facilities, programs and services that encourage positive living, offer life-changing experiences for children and adults, strengthen families and enrich the lives of seniors. These facilities, programs and services promote educational enrichment, life skills development and spiritual and physical wellness.

While The Salvation Army Kroc Center is ideally located to meet the needs of underserved residents, the programs and services provided are being designed to serve as a magnet that will attract the entire coast community, be financially self-sustaining and further the mission of The Salvation Army.
 

The Kroc Center is 52,000 square feet and features a chapel/performing arts center with state of the art audio/visual capabilities; full-sized gymnasium for indoor recreation sports; weight and exercise rooms; dance and aerobic studio; men’s, women’s and family locker rooms; multi-purpose room/dining hall for Salvation Army and community events; and monitored childcare; classrooms; meeting rooms; and a multi-purpose lobby for art and music exhibits. The Center also features an indoor Aquatics Center with exercise pool with zero degree entry, a lap pool for lessons and sports programs, splash pad and two-story water slide. The outdoor recreation area includes a stadium complex with a full athletic field, 1/4 mile track and visitor stands.

Kroc Center Features:

• 52,000 square feet
• Indoor Aquatics Center
• Exercise Pool, Zero-Depth Entry, Lap Pool, Splash Pad, Two-Story Waterslide
• Chapel/Performing Arts Center
• Multi-purpose gym designed for basketball, indoor soccer, volleyball, pickleball, and more
• Fitness Center
• Group Fitness and Dance Studio
• Locker Rooms
• Multi-purpose room/dining hall for Salvation Army and community events, classrooms and meeting rooms
• Play Care
• Lobby for art and music exhibits
• Stadium complex
• Full Athletic Field, 1/4 mile Track, Visitor Stands

MS Gulf Coast Area Commanders

Majors Paul and Karen Egan are beyond excited about the opportunity to move to the Gulf Coast of Mississippi and serve the community as The Salvation Army’s Area Commanders. They are amazed at the extraordinary services provided at the Centers of Hope and Kroc Center. They see it as an obvious testimony to the commitment these communities have to love and care for their neighbors in need through the life-changing mission of The Salvation Army.

Paul, the sixth and last son of Thomas and Rosemary Egan, was born in Ft. Stewart, GA.  His late father was a retired Air Force air traffic controller who worked for the U.S. Army and Marine Corps.

Paul started attending church at The Salvation Army at age 10 when his family moved to Beaufort, SC.  His mother, whose family was nurtured by The Salvation Army when she was a child, would “volunteer” Paul to serve as a bell ringer, visitor to the nursing home and assistant to the Thrift Store truck driver.  What began as a somewhat begrudged service has flourished into a cherished career.

Karen (nee Dick) was born in Florida, the youngest of four children. She is the 4th generation of her family to be a part of The Salvation Army. Karen grew up attending The Salvation Army’s Clearwater Corps, where she was Girl Guard leader, Sunday School teacher, and sang in the songsters. After receiving an AA in Elementary Education, Karen moved to Atlanta to work in the Child Care Department at The Salvation Army’s School for Officers’ Training and then as the Youth Program Coordinator at the Atlanta Temple Corps.

In 1988, Paul and Karen were accepted as cadets to The Salvation Army’s School for Officers’ Training as part of “The Witness for Jesus” session. Paul loves to regale how fortunate he felt that early on, cadets were seated alphabetically in chapel services, allowing him to sit next to Karen. Those early interactions were less memorable for Karen, but blessed is the one who perseveres. Paul and Karen were ordained and commissioned as Lieutenants in June of 1990 and married in March of 1991.

They have served for 35 years in Maryland, West Virginia, North Carolina, Texas, Oklahoma, Georgia, and Kentucky, predominantly as Corps Officers. Eight years of their service have been at Headquarters, with Paul leading the finance and personnel department, and Karen leading the women’s and adult ministries departments.

Majors Egan have one child, Bradley, who in 2015 graduated with a BA in acting from the University of North Carolina-Greensboro “on time and debt free.”  He shares Paul’s love of music and entertainment, along with Karen’s drive for excellence.  Bradley now lives in Orlando, Florida, and has embraced many dramatic acting roles there, ranging from Don Quixote’s faithful squire Sancho Panza to Nancy Drew’s table. (There are no small parts.) Currently, he is telling tales at Universal’s Wizarding World of Harry Potter and leading the singing and jokes at Disney’s Frozen Sing-a-long.

Majors Egan receive great personal satisfaction through their work with The Salvation Army, especially seeing broken lives and families made whole.

Congregational Life Officers - Kroc Center

Captain Bruce Williams was born on Valentine’s Day, 1975, in Charleston, West Virginia, to Officer parents. During his childhood, he lived in various states, including West Virginia, Virginia, Texas, and Florida, gaining a broad perspective and deep appreciation for community service.

From an early age, Captain Williams developed a passion for working with children, assisting his parents with youth programs at their assigned corps locations. This dedication led him to pursue a degree in Elementary Education at the University of South Florida in Tampa, where he earned his Bachelor’s degree.

Following graduation, Captain Williams made what he calls the best decision of his life—marrying Tavia Tanner. The couple settled in Tampa, Florida, where Captain Williams began his professional career as a fourth-grade teacher in Brandon, FL.

His calling to ministry led him to a position as the Christian Education Director at The Salvation Army in St. Petersburg, where he served for two years. Captain Bruce and Captain Tavia Williams were then transferred to The Salvation Army in Fort Myers, Florida, where they faithfully served for four years.

In response to their growing call to officership, the Williams family—including their two sons at the time—entered the Salvation Army’s Evangeline Booth College in Atlanta, Georgia. After two years of training, they were commissioned in June 2007 as members of the Heralds of the Good News session.

Since commissioning, Captains Bruce and Tavia Williams have served in appointments across Florida, North Carolina, Georgia, Louisiana, and now Mississippi. Along the way, their family grew to include three sons: Ian (24), Tanner (20), and Spencer (14).

Captain Bruce Williams enjoys surf fishing, smoking meats, cheering on the Washington Commanders, and—above all—feeding people and serving others in the name of Christ.

Pascagoula Corps Officer

Major Janna Torgerson will be the Corps Officer of The Salvation Army of Pascagoula MS as of June 23, 2025 (Welcome Sunday is June 29).

Janna was commissioned as an officer in 2003 and has been an officer in The Salvation Army for 22 years and 7 (8 including Pascagoula) different appointments all over the Southern US and one appointment in the Northwest (Puyallup, WA).

Janna’s family consists of 2 brothers, 2 sisters, 3 nieces, and 4 nephews. Janna’s mother, Rose, has dementia and is in an assisted living home and being cared for by the other sibs. Most of the family lives in the western part of Washington State, north of Seattle. The family is close knit and Janna flies home on vacation twice a year.

Born in Thailand to missionary parents (Christian and Missionary Alliance), Janna grew up in Snohomish, WA. She attended Concordia College in Selma, AL on a full scholarship where she earned a BS in Elementary Education with a minor in Early Childhood Education. While there, Janna met the Salvation Army and the rest is history.

Janna enjoys cooking Thai food, reading, crafts such as paracord key chains and bracelets, and just chilling at home. Her favorite TV shows are The Great British Baking Show, Mythbusters and The Repair Shop. She collects magnets of locations she has lived or visited.