35 cents
VOL. 3/ISSUE 39
THURSDAY, JULY 30, 2015
Screaming Eagle lands in food cart
Staff photo by Patrick McCallister Veteran Isaac Parks and his girlfriend Kiantae Mims have opened a weekend food cart at 3775 S.W. Mapp Road, the Royal Palms Apartments’ southern parking lot by Southwest 35th Street, in Palm City. Parks has service-related disabilities and served in Operation Enduring Freedom-Afghanistan.
Patrick McCallister FOR VETERAN VOICE
pmccallister@veteranvoiceweekly.com
Isaac Parks’ grew up in a military family. “My dad, my siblings, my aunts, my uncles, every-
one served,” he said. He also grew up in a ministry family. “My mom, she had a passion to cook,” Parks, said “My parents believe you can minister through food.” Parks is a veteran with disabilities. He served in Operation Enduring Freedom-Afghanistan in the 101st Airborne. He received a medical discharge. “I had a couple close calls,” he said. Parks said when he got out of the military last year he thought veterans benefits would start immediately, because the Army was supposed to be coordinating with the Department of Veterans Affairs. That’s not how things worked out. “I went months and months without pay,” he said. Parks added, “Going from making $50,000 a year to nothing was hard. I see so many
veterans hurting out there.” Eventually Parks got on his feet — although he can’t stand for long periods, because of injuries — with the help of the VA, veterans organizations, his family, and, most importantly, God. His father is a minister, Elder Freeman Parks at the Temple Beautiful Church, Indiantown. Elder Parks is also a Vietnam veteran. The food cart is owned by Foundations of Jesus Christ Ministries. “They don’t have a lot of members who financially are there,” the younger Parks said. He said that his father has alternated between using the cart to raise funds at events to help the homeless, and taken it to where they homeless are to feed them.
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