McComb residents greeted Salvation Army Lt. Patricia Arguello Friday with open arms at a luncheon in her honor at the McComb Sports Park.
After spending two years studying practical ministries at Salvation Army’s Evangeline Booth College for officers in Atlanta, Arguello and her two sons moved more than 450 miles to McComb.
Her first plan of action is simple — listen, learn, engage and react.
“I’m here to make things happen,” Arguello said.
Arguello chatted with community leaders and citizens to find out what the community needs that she can provide, and two ideas emerged.
The first is a safe haven for the youth of McComb and Pike County.
“I hear the need for mentors for our youth — a place for them to go and be listened to,” Arguello said. “And not just a building. It’s more than that — I want to build outcomes.”
Another thing close to Arguello’s heart is a music conservatory for the area considering its rich musical heritage. Her sons attended one this summer, and she’s seen first-hand the benefits music has on children.
“Music brings confidence,” Arguello said. “It brings people up and promotes adoration and allows a person to see their self-worth.”
In her five years here, Arguello hopes to help the community in any way she can.
“The challenge is to discover in our communities what those needs are that will produce life-changing outcomes in the lives of families and individuals,” she said.
The Salvation Army offers emergency assistance to needy families, including help with utilities, rent, mortgageand medicines.
The organization also has a mobile canteen it dispatches during natural disasters and other emergencies.
The Salvation Army is an international movement affiliated with the Universal Christian Church whose mission is to preach gospel.
Along with weekly Sunday services at 11 a.m., the Salvation Army also offers character building classes for all ages 7 p.m. Wednesdays and “Made to Crave” classes 7 p.m. Mondays that focus on the mind, body and spirit with 15 minutes of devotion and 45 minutes of exercise.
Southwest Mississippi Salvation Army covers Amite, Lawrence, Lincoln, Pike and Walthall counties, making it one of the larger areas covered by one group.
