Month: November 2022

Thanksgiving-themed event brings together police and community throughout Lexington County

Lexington, SC – On Tuesday, November 22 from 12-4pm at the Icehouse Amphitheater in Lexington, Serve and Connect will partner with First Community Bank, Town of Lexington, Lexington Sheriff’s Department, Cayce Police Department, West Columbia Police Department, Uplift Lexington County, and Si Se Puede to host Bountiful Harvest. This multi-agency event aims at bringing neighbors together while we pack free, non-perishable boxes of food called Greg’s Groceries. Items will be Thanksgiving themed so every family can celebrate the holidays. There will be a free meal for all, as well as music and a resource fair for people of all ages to enjoy.

“Partnerships and outreach to our community are part of our ongoing strategic plan and Bountiful Harvest continues to be an event where we see how our department, our community partners, and Serve & Connect can positively impact those in need on so many different levels”, Chief Terrence Green from Lexington Police Department said. “Greg’s Groceries boxes provide Thanksgiving meals to families who might not have a holiday dinner otherwise, our many partners have an opportunity to introduce their services to those in need, and sitting down for lunch together creates a chance for conversations that officers may never have otherwise.  There’s so much value in that on so many different levels.”

WHAT: Free community event hosted by multiple agencies including packing holiday food boxes, free meals to share, music, and a resource fair. This multi-agency approach aims to bring partners and members of the community together to spread some extra love before Thanksgiving.

WHEN: Tuesday November 22

• Packing of holiday food boxes begins at 10AM

• Community event including holiday food box give away open from 12-4pm

WHO: Lexington Police Department, West Columbia Police Department, Lexington County Sheriffs Department, Cayce Police Department, Serve & Connect, First Community Bank SC, PASOs, Department of Disabilities and Special Needs, SC Developmental Disabilities Counciol, The Hive Community Circle, Lighthouse for Life, SC Victim Assistance Network, Ezekiel Ministries, Post Trauma Resources, Pathways to Healing, The Courage Cente4r, Lexington One Adult Education, South Carolina Department of Mental Health

WHERE: Icehouse Amphitheater

107 W Main Street

Lexington SC, 29072

About Serve & Connect

Serve & Connect is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization that aims to ignite positive change through police-community partnerships. Kassy Alia Ray founded the organization in memory of her late husband, Officer Gregory Alia, who was killed in the line of duty in 2015. Backed by evidence-based practices designed to fuel collaboration, Serve & Connect provides the tools, training and technical assistance necessary for police departments, local organizations, leaders and residents to work together to improve community outcomes. 

Columbia, SC — The North Columbia Youth Empowerment Initiative (NCYEI) joined Serve & Connect and its community partners to host the upcoming “Serving Up Thanks” series. The events are funded by the Byrnes Criminal Justice Innovation grant from the Department of Justice (DOJ). Serve & Connect was one of 20 grant recipients by the DOJ last year to support the department’s criminal justice innovation efforts to address serious and violent crime issues through collaborative cross-sector approaches that help advance broader neighborhood development goals. “Serving Up Thanks” will span the week of Thanksgiving to promote peace in North Columbia through cooperative action and support.

The first event will bring together the Neighborhood Council of Empowered Residents (NCER) Meeting and Serve & Connect’s Greg’s Groceries program at Gable Oaks Apartments on Monday, Nov. 21, from 5-7 p.m. The meeting will promote dialogue centered on food access and creating a path to peace. The Columbia Police Department will also host a Greg’s Groceries packing event.

The second event will be on Tuesday, Nov. 22, from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. at 1003 Colleton Street, Columbia, SC 29203. NCYEI will host the “Serving Up Thanks” Resource Fair + Harvest Hope Food Bank event in collaboration with community partners, including Belmont Community Association, Gable Oaks Apartments, New Jerusalem Interdenominational Church (Harvest Hope Food Bank agency) and the Knowledge is Power Coalition. Attending resource/service providers include: CAN Community Health, Pathways to Healing, Moms Demand Action & the Survivor Network, LRADAC, SC Thrive, DMH Columbia Area Mental Health Center, Prisma Health, Cooperative Health, Dominion Energy’s Customer Assistance Outreach, Senior Resources, and Richland Library.

The series’ final event will be held on Thanksgiving Day with a “Serving Up Thanks” Thanksgiving meal delivery from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Neighborhood residents and volunteers are invited to join NCYEI in coordinated Thanksgiving meal delivery to members of the 29203 community. Meals for “Serving Up Thanks” will be provided courtesy of The Village at Southlake independent living community in Lexington, SC and Cooperative Health.

“The holidays mean celebration and abundance for many, but not all of us. Together, we can support, inform, and uplift our neighbors in need right where they are,” shares Erica Staley, Serve & Connect’s North Columbia site coordinator. “The most meaningful part of “Serving Up Thanks” is the chance it gives us to show up for each other as one community – not just in what we say, but in what we do. We’re thankful for the ability to serve, the dedicated partners alongside us, and the opportunity to show our community that we care.”

Individuals interested in participating in the “Serving Up Thanks” events can register online: https://forms.gle/Dhp2x6jmfxjLDi7AA.

As an extension of Serve & Connect, the NCYEI continues the organization’s mission of coordination and strategic alignment among groups already making a difference in the lives of North Columbia’s neighborhood children. Together with community leaders, Serve & Connect has focused on bringing positive change through sustainable police-community partnerships in North Columbia. The evidence-informed work conducted in North Columbia has led to an expansion of similar programs in Kershaw, Lexington, Fairfield and Orangeburg counties.

ABOUT NORTH COLUMBIA YOUTH EMPOWERMENT INITIATIVE

The North Columbia Youth Empowerment Initiative was established in collaboration with the Columbia Police Department, Richland County Sheriff’s Office, Serve & Connect and community leaders to foster police and community partnerships that empower the lives of neighborhood children and youth in the 29203 region.

ABOUT SERVE & CONNECT

Serve & Connect is a Columbia-based nonprofit that works directly with law enforcement, community stakeholders, and citizen leaders to address root causes of crime and promote safety so everyone thrives. For more information, visit serveandconnect.org.

We are thrilled to share that we were featured in Good Morning America! The news story highlights our Greg’s Groceries program and our recent statewide “Beyond the Box” packing event hosted in October.

Thank you, Good Morning America, for sharing our story and spreading the good news! Thank you also to everyone who made this possible, especially our presenting sponsor, Walmart!

We are so proud to uplift the tremendous work being done across our state by many officers working in partnership with their community. A special note of appreciation to Columbia Police Department Chief Skip Holbrook and Pastor T.A. Belton for being a part of this story.

Hosted in partnership with Florence Police Department and City of Florence, Key sponsor by Duke Energy

Florence, SC – On Tuesday, November 15 at 3pm at Northwest Park in Florence, the Florence Police Department and the City of Florence will partner with Serve & Connect and Duke Energy to host Bountiful Harvest. The event aims at bringing neighbors together while we pack free, non-perishable boxes of food called Greg’s Groceries. Items will be Thanksgiving themed so every family can celebrate the holidays. Two-hundered boxes will be available to residents in need for no cost and will be delivered on a first-come, first-served basis. There will be a free meal for all, as well as music, games, and a resource fair for people of all ages to enjoy. This event is rain or shine.

Florence Police Chief Allen Heidler shared the following words regarding their partnership with Serve & Connect, “The Florence Police Department is excited to be working with the staff of Serve and Connect and the Gregs Groceries program. We are constantly looking for new and innovative ways to improve our outreach within the City of Florence. Gregs Groceries, through Serve and Connect, will not only afford us another opportunity to connect with our community during the packing event, it will also provide officers with an avenue to immediately help individuals and families who have fallen on hard times with a boxed meal. It’s a win-win situation for everyone involved.”

WHAT: Free community event including packing holiday food boxes, free meals to share, games, music, and a resource fair. This will be used as an opportunity to create neighborly bonds and build relationships between members of the community and FPD.

WHEN: Tuesday November 15 from 3-6pm

WHERE: Northwest Park, Northwest Community Center, 801 Clement Street, Florence, SC 29501

HOST PARTNERS:  Florence Police Department, City of Florence, Duke Energy, Serve & Connect

ADDITIONAL PARTNERS: SLED, South Carolina Department of Public Safety, SC Works, Florence         Housing Authority, United States Army, Pee Dee Mental Health Center, McLeod Safe Kids, Pee Dee Coalition, Florence County Central Dispatch

About Serve & Connect

Serve & Connect is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization that aims to ignite positive change through police-community partnerships. Kassy Alia Ray founded the organization in memory of her late husband, Officer Gregory Alia, who was killed in the line of duty in 2015. Backed by evidence-based practices designed to fuel collaboration, Serve & Connect provides the tools, training and technical assistance necessary for police departments, local organizations, leaders and residents to work together to improve community outcomes.