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

MAJOR JERRY FRIDAY

AREA COMMANDER

Major Jerry Friday comes to the Mississippi Gulf Coast after serving 15 years at The Salvation Army Southern Territorial Headquarters in Atlanta as the Territorial Conference Director and the Territorial Mission and Cultural Ministries Secretary.

Originally from Midland, Texas Jerry graduated from The Salvation Army School for Officers’ Training in 1983 and served for almost 10 years in Texas, Arkansas, Oklahoma, Kentucky, and Georgia before being assigned to the army’s headquarters in Tampa, Florida and then Atlanta, Georgia. For almost 10 years Jerry worked for an international event production company and as marketing director for a national software company.

As an event producer, Jerry worked with such artists as Amy Grant, T Graham Brown, Reba McIntyre, Usher and Gladys Knight, to name a few, and is excited to bring to the coast his experience in special events.

Jerry has been recognized for outstanding volunteerism and community service with numerous community organizations, including Pets Are Loving Support, Big Brothers, the Federal Emergency Management Agency, The Rosalynn Carter Institute, and several local and state scholarship pageants.

Jerry is passionate about mentoring young people and looks forward to the opportunity to work with the staff and volunteers of the Mississippi Gulf Coast building on the tremendous work The Salvation Army has provided here for almost 115 years.

MAJOR’S YOUNG & HEERAN LIM

Congregational Life Officers

Majors Young and Heeran Lim are the Congregational Life Officers of the Gulfcoast Kroc Center. They are originally from Korea and immigrated in the mid ’90s. God called them to serve people through The Salvation Army, where they joined the “Believers” session and graduated from the now Evangeline Booth College in 2003. They were commissioned to Winston-Salem, North Carolina. During their time in North Carolina, they established what is now known as the Kernersville Corps. They ministered there for 15 years. They have also had an appointment as corps officers at the Louisville South Corps in Louisville, KY.

After a short time away, they were re-commissioned to be the Congregational Life Officers of the Gulf Coast Kroc Center. While this area is new to them, they have fallen in love with the charms of Mississippi. Majors Young and Heeran love to interact with people and share the love of God. If you see them around the Kroc Center, please say hello!! While there may be small language barriers, the love they have for people and for God knows no barriers. They have two wonderful children: Jiwon, who is a dentist in North Carolina, and Jihoon, who has just completed his first year of medical school in Florida.

LT. CARLA LAWSON

Pascagoula Corps Officer

Lt. Carla Lawson is a first-generation Salvationist who has a passion for leadership and youth ministry. After graduating High School in Northern Virginia, Carla attended Bridgewater College to pursue a career in Art Education. While there, Carla felt God leading her in another direction—as an officer in The Salvation Army.

After working in Public Safety and on to Youth Ministry, Carla moved to Mississippi to further her ministry with youth as a Christian Education Director with The Salvation Army. Unable to escape God’s calling on her life, Carla was accepted in the Messengers of Compassion session attending The Salvation Army’s Evangeline Booth College in Atlanta, GA. Carla was Commissioned and Ordained in June 2019 and has been appointed by The Salvation Army to Pascagoula, MS as the Corps Officer for her first appointment. Her favorite pastimes include painting, outdoor activities, and learning more about our Creator. Encouraged by the culture and community of Jackson County, Lt. Lawson is thrilled to be a part of all that God is doing on the Mississippi Gulf Coast and looks forward to all she can do to preach the gospel and meet human needs in Jackson County.