Salvation Army enters 2nd week of feeding after military plane crash

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Itta Bena, MS – The Salvation Army, Greenwood Corps will continue feeding military personnel and law enforcement for a second week as the investigation and recovery operation is ongoing in Leflore County, Mississippi. Fifteen Marines and one naval corpsman were killed when their KC-130 military plane crashed last Monday afternoon.

“The Marines are still here, law enforcement is still here, so The Salvation Army will be here as long as there is need,” said Lieutenant Jamaal Ellis, Greenwood, Mississippi Corps Officer.

The Salvation Army began feeding Tuesday. Over the weekend, the transition was made to provide breakfast and lunch while local churches provide dinner. The Salvation Army also uses its mobile feeding truck to serve snacks and provide hydration to personnel at the crash site.

“We are working with the area Southern Baptist Association, Mississippi Valley State University and several churches, said Lt. Ellis. “This is just a bunch of folks coming together to help our military, our emergency responders and our law enforcement as they work in the extreme heat.”

So far, in the six days The Salvation Army has served in Leflore County, we have provided 1,773 meals, 2,800 drinks, 575 snacks and prayed with six individuals. With our officers, volunteers and employees have worked 174 hours.

Partnership Feeding Personnel at MS Plane Crash Site Continuing into Next Week

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Partnership Feeding Personnel at MS Plane Crash Site Continuing into Next Week A KC-130 military plane carrying 16 Marines and crew crashed Monday afternoon in Leflore county, Mississippi killing all on board. The United States Marines along with emergency personnel from the Federal, state and local level are investigating and providing security to the crash site.

The Salvation Army, Greenwood, Mississippi Corps is partnering with the Southern Baptist Association to make sure all these responders are fed, hydrated and cared for while they work in the brutally hot temperatures of the Mississippi Delta.

“The Southern Baptist Association is very generous to help in this way,” said Lieutenant Jamaal Ellis, Greenwood, Mississippi Corps Officer. “They are cooking the meals, we load them on our truck, and deliver them.

Mississippi Valley State University is providing an air-conditioned building where the food can be served and those working at the crash site can cool off. Drinks and snacks are also served at the crash site. Local Churches are also providing assistance.

“We will be serving lunch and dinner starting Monday and continuing that as long as we are needed here, but we will continue our lunch service through the weekend,” said Lieutenant Ellis.

To this point, The Salvation Army has served over 1000 meals and 2000 drinks since Tuesday at lunch. and provided emotional and spiritual care to several individuals throughout the week.

“All these groups and organizations coming together to help our military and first responders really shows God’s grace in a time of terrible grief and loss for these families. Our prayers continue to be lifted up for their loss,” said Lieutenant Ellis.

The Salvation Army Serving Following Military Plane Crash in Mississippi

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Leflore County, MS – A C-130 military transport plane carrying 16 Marines and crew crashed Monday afternoon in Leflore County, Mississippi near the towns of Moorhead and Itta Bena. Local media is reporting all on board were killed.

The local emergency management director requested The Salvation Army, Greenwood, Mississippi Corps serve 200 meals for lunch to emergency personnel.

“We are so saddened by what took place Monday and our thoughts and prayers go out to the families of the military members on board,” said Lieutenant Jamaal Ellis. “Right now, there are many emergency responders doing all they can to figure out what happened, and we will do our best to support them in this tough, emotional work.”

Federal, state, and local personnel are on site to investigate the crash and provide security to the site which covers a wide area.

“We will also offer emotional and spiritual care to these responders who need a listening ear, support or a simple prayer that God helps them through this task,” said Lieutenant Ellis.

Giving Veterans a Hand up in Shreveport

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Perouz Farokhkish is proud of his service in the United States Army. Growing up Christian in Lake Charles, Louisiana to a Middle Eastern father and American mother, he saw no signs of prejudice or hatred. When he returned home after two tours supporting the war in Iraq, he couldn’t help but notice something was different.

“The best I can describe it is like a Vietnam veteran, it was very difficult,” said Farokhkish. “For me, I was a man just like anyone else.”

Following the attack on the Twin Towers and the Pentagon on 9/11, Farokhkish says his Middle Eastern decent made him stand out. He isolated himself, not leaving home very much. Looking back now he says he didn’t trust people especially the Veterans Administration Hospitals he needed to get help. For fifteen years, Farokhkish kept to himself, kept his thoughts and feelings locked inside.

“When you get out, there was nothing there to help you re-balance, so you get out and all you know is to run, and if you can’t run, if something trips you, you are a complete and total failure.”

Then a referral to The Salvation Army in Shreveport changed his life. Perouz says the compassion showed by the staff in the Veteran’s shelter and by the officers helped him open up.

“I always needed to talk but didn’t know who would allow me to let it out,” said Farokhkish. “Being able to talk to other veterans was greatly helpful. For me to be able to help the elderly veterans to navigate simple things like a cell phone, it was therapeutic to think even here I could give back.”

Perouz stayed in the veterans’ shelter for five months. He now is enrolled at Louisiana State University-Shreveport studying Psychology. He is grateful to those who helped him at The Salvation Army and volunteers to this day.

“Finding other veterans who experienced similar situations was really comforting,” said Farokhkish. “And gave me a lot of solace to know that you can come out of that. It doesn’t have to stay that way forever.”

The Salvation Army of Shreveport has worked hand in hand with the Overton Brooks VA Hospital by providing transitional and emergency housing for homeless Veterans both male and female.

The veterans shelter offers 29 beds, 24 for men and five for women.

In 2016, The Salvation Army provided nearly 8,000 nights of lodging for veterans and over 20,000 meals serving 250 veterans overall.

To get more information on how The Salvation Army is helping veterans in Shreveport, please click here.