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Blythewood, SC — On July 18, the compassion of a statewide community and the power of courage and healing were on full display during a small and intimate ceremony at the headquarters of the South Carolina Department of Public Safety. During this ceremony, Kassy Alia Ray, Founder / CEO of Serve & Connect, presented Lace Corporal Frazier and his wife with a check for more than $15,000. Thanks to nearly 200 donations from co-workers, friends, family, and supporters from around the state, Highway Patrolman Lance Corporal B.A. Frazier’s recovery just got a little easier.

The fundraiser is intended to support L/Cpl Frazier and his family, helping to cover medical bills and other needs associated with recovery. One hundred percent of the funds raised will be given to Lance Corporal Frazier.

At Serve & Connect, we deeply understand that the strength of a community can help provide healing and support to our law enforcement members and their families during times of crisis and tragedy. When Officer Greg Alia was killed in the line of duty in 2015, the community rallied around our founder, Kassy, and their then 6-month-old son Sal.

We carry forward this immense kindness through our Tragedy Response Program. If an officer is killed in the line of duty or critically injured in South Carolina, Serve & Connect facilitates community giving to support the Officer, and their family, and honor their bravery. We do not keep any money raised as every penny donated is provided to the officer and their family for their long-term healing and support.

As you may remember, L/Cpl. Frazier was shot and injured in April during a traffic stop in Bamberg, SC. He spent nearly a week in the hospital before returning home to face a road to recovery surrounded by his family, friends, and with his immense spirit intact and bolstered by the community response.

Lance Corporal Frazier has been with Highway Patrol Troop 7 since 2018 and currently serves in Post A (Allendale, Bamberg, Barnwell, and Hampton). He is a Navy veteran, a proud grandfather of eight, and is focused on making strong bonds with the community that he serves.

Frazier expresses his gratitude to all who supported his recovery through prayers and donations. He intends to “push that love forward” and is eager to return to work, although a date for his return hasn’t been set as he continues physical therapy.

Serve & Connect believes that we can build stronger communities grounded in effective community safety partnerships when communities support the officers who protect them every day. Thank you to everyone for their care, concern, and support of Lance Corporal Frazier and his family.

Law Enforcement tragedy-response fundraisers are facilitated by Serve & Connect a nonprofit 501(c)3 organization focused on igniting positive change through police-community partnerships. Since 2015, Serve & Connect has raised more than $760,000 for families of fallen officers in South Carolina. All fundraisers are endorsed by the South Carolina Troopers Association, the South Carolina Law Enforcement Officers Association, the South Carolina Sheriffs Association, the South Carolina Police Chiefs Association, the South Carolina Fraternal Order of Police, and the South Carolina Department of Public Safety. 100% of the funds raised will be provided directly to L/Cpl Frazier to support his recovery. All donations are tax-deductible.

To learn more about Serve & Connect Tragedy Response Click Here.

To donate to support Serve & Connect Click Here.

Richland County, S.C. – On Thursday, June 22nd officials from Richland School District Two and Serve & Connect were honored to come together at Richland Northeast High School to announce a formal partnership between the two organizations. This partnership will work together to promote the safety and well-being of students, staff, and parents in the Woodfield and Dentsville areas. Together Richland Two and Serve & Connect will strive to create an environment where learning can flourish and where everyone feels secure, safe, and supported.

Speaking at the event Nancy Gregory, Interim Superintendent for Richland Two promoted this partnership:

“Serve & Connect’s mission resonates deeply with our own as we believe in fostering positive relationships and mutual trust among all members of our community. Together, we will implement comprehensive programs and initiatives designed to secure an environment that promotes learning and personal growth both inside our schools and in the area surrounding our schools. One of the key focus areas of this partnership will be collaboration. It is essential to emphasize that this partnership is not just about safety and security: it is about strengthening the fabric of our community.”

It was just over a year ago that thanks to the incredible support and advocacy of Forest Lake Presbyterian Church and Reverend Ellen Skidmore Serve & Connect was able to launch a COMPASS site focused on the community surrounding Richland Northeast High School. COMPASS is the Serve & Connect model for supporting the development and implementation of community-driven initiatives where police and communities work together as one team, one community, to address local challenges. The Woodfield and Dentsville communities have such rich diversity and beautiful history. After a year working within the community, we recognize that there is so much potential for this area but in order for COMPASS to bring the potential to life we must come together and break down the divides that have been created among us and build bridges of hope and trust.

Kassy Alia Ray, Founder and CEO of Serve & Connect spoke of her personal connection to the area:

“Many of you may not know that, in fact, Greg was a graduate of Richland Northeast High School. Richland Northeast JROTC program offered him a foundation to give him the opportunity to pursue his dream of serving as a police officer in the very community where he grew up. Greg believed in service to others was greater than service to self. He bravely and selflessly gave his life protecting the community that gave him so much. This is the same community that supported our family during our darkest days and it is also where I am proud to be raising my two boys. Right here.”

Serve & Connect is grateful to Richland Two for this incredible opportunity to strengthen and formalize our partnership and we look forward to working as a team to make a transformative impact for this community. Just as police cannot build safe communities alone, Richland School District Two cannot promote safe schools alone. We need more partners to join our effort to build a better tomorrow. So today, in addition to this momentous signing of the MOU Serve & Connect challenges the community at large with an ask: For those that may be reading about this and learning about it out in our community – we NEED YOU.

Together, Serve & Connect and Richland Two will collaborate to provide a brighter future for our schools to stand as a beacon of safety, excellence, and unity. With this formal partnership, we will create a community that thrives on mutual respect, security, and strong support. Thank you to everyone who helped to make this vision a reality and to formalize this partnership and may this mark the beginning of an extraordinary chapter in the history of our community.

Links To media:

Richland Two and Serve & Connect Announce Formal Partnership Media Advisory

Richland Two and Serve & Connect – ABC Columbia (WOLO) News Story

Safer Schools the goal of Columbia-area nonprofit’s partnership with local district – Post and Courier

SERVE & CONNECT SELECTED BY STAND TOGETHER FOUNDATION TO BECOME CATALYST IMPACT PARTNER
Serve & Connect joins the first group of Catalyst Impact Partners, receiving management training, access to new customer-first impact measurement approach, and up to $300,000 in grants over the next three years.

Columbia, SC – Serve & Connect CEO and Founder Kassy Alia Ray is proud to announce that the Columbia, SC based non-profit has been selected to participate in Stand Together Foundation’s new Catalyst Impact Grant Program, an initiative cultivating a group of the country’s most transformative nonprofits that demonstrate a better way to transform individual lives and create lasting change.

The Catalyst Impact Grant Program awards each incoming Catalyst Impact Partner with Principle Based ManagementTM coaching and consulting, access to a new customer-first measurement approach created by Stand Together Foundation to understand and differentiate their impact and grants up to $300,000 over three years. By 2025, Stand Together Foundation’s goal is to invest in up to 100 Catalyst partners who have successfully completed the Catalyst Program, committing up to $30 million to accelerate nonprofit impact and transform how society thinks about addressing poverty and social barriers.

Serve & Connect is one of the first 25 Catalysts to have been selected to join the new Catalyst Impact Grant Program, which officially kicked off in January 2023. Nonprofits selected have the key ingredients to break the cycle of poverty. They put people at the forefront, see the unique potential in every individual, and are changing the way the country thinks about, talks about, and tackles poverty. The grant program is designed to provide resources for increased effectiveness, including management training and customer feedback tools to help nonprofits grow, scale, and replicate their success. Click here to view a full list of the first 25 Catalyst Impact Partners.

“Stand Together Foundation including Serve & Connect in their first ever Catalyst Impact Partner program is an incredible benefit to Serve & Connect, our staff, and the community that we serve,” stated Kassy Alia Ray CEO and Founder of Serve & Connect. “Stand Together Foundation and Serve & Connect share similar goals with a belief in people, seeing those closest to a problem as the source of solutions, and promoting unity. We are excited by the opportunity to learn with changemakers across the Nation and know our relationship with Stand Together Foundation will strengthen the capacity of Serve & Connect.”

Stand Together Foundation partners with the highest impact nonprofits around the nation, all committed to empowering the individuals they serve through a principled approach. This means that instead of treating people as problems to be managed with sweeping, top-down plans, these organizations help people realize their full potential through bottom-up empowerment and solutions that help individuals transform themselves and the world around them. Today, Stand Together Foundation partners with almost 300 nonprofits, across all 50 states.

Serve & Connect was selected through an extensive vetting process and accepted into the program after a rigorous evaluation focused on impact, customer surveying, reach, and principle alignment. Stand Together Foundation’s Catalyst Impact Partner Initiative represents an investment in the diversity of nonprofits, audiences, and solutions as the way to end poverty. The 25 Catalyst Impact Partners have diverse program models across the nation and are uniquely suited for rapid iteration and experimentation based on data collection and customer feedback. Each of these organizations focus on relationships with their customers and prioritize individual transformation rather than transactional services.

“Our Catalyst partners take a unique approach to helping people overcome barriers that is anchored in a strong belief in people,” said Evan Feinberg, executive director at Stand Together Foundation. “This initiative is about deepening our partnership so that Catalysts can scale their reach, better understand their impact, and ultimately transform the way society thinks about addressing social barriers. If these organizations continue to grow in their effectiveness, and everyone in the country hears about what they are doing, we can transform the entire social sector in America.”

Catalyst Impact Partners will be expected to:

 

• Model a “customer-first” impact vision. Catalyst Impact Partners will participate in Stand Together Foundation’s pioneering measurement approach to understand impact through customer feedback.

• Advance a management culture that empowers employees. Catalyst Impact Partners will focus on leveraging Principle Based Management to empower their employees to empower the people they serve.

• Build the movement toward empowerment. Identify with and advocate for a culture of openness, dignity, mutual benefit, and empowerment among philanthropists, nonprofits, and the broader social sector.

Click here to learn more about Catalyst Impact Partners.

 

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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.

About Stand Together Foundation
Stand Together Foundation is committed to breaking the cycle of poverty in America by driving change from within communities. We are building a community of social entrepreneurs who believe in people, work from the bottom up, and unite with anyone to do right. Since 2016, we have committed over $120 million and counting to fuel the innovation of nonprofits throughout the country to build stronger, safer communities where all people can learn, contribute, and realize their full potential. Our goal is to help nonprofit leaders maximize their impact to transform more lives out of poverty. Learn more at www.StandTogetherFoundation.org.

Serve & Connect a recipient of Sisters of Charity Foundation of SC’s 2023 Systems Level Change Grant

COLUMBIA, S.C. – Serve & Connect received a $20,000 grant from the Sisters of Charity Foundation of South Carolina. The foundation awards grants to nonprofits that strive to reduce poverty throughout the state of South Carolina and beyond. Serve & Connect was awarded a grant as part of the Systems Level Change category.

These grants are intended for organizations that work to influence and guide change in structural systems that have created, sustained, or reinforced the marginalization of families and individuals experiencing poverty in South Carolina. The Sisters of Charity Foundation awarded $475,000 to 18 different organizations in this category.

The mission of Serve & Connect is to foster positive change through sustainable police and community partnerships. We envision a future where police and citizens are working together as one community to address root causes of crime and promote safety, so everyone thrives. We believe that when police and community partners stand together, they have the power to make real, lasting change happen. This grant from Sisters of Charity Foundation of South Carolina will fund programming to spread a culture of community policing throughout South Carolina and to showcase tangible examples of how police and community partners are working together to make a difference in their communities.

“We are grateful for our continued partnership with Sisters of Charity Foundation, and we are honored to use these funds to support Serve & Connect’s COMPASS program to address community-level change to address poverty, violence, and quality of life in South Carolina through increasing relationships with local law enforcement and their community,” said Kassy Alia Ray, CEO & Founder of Serve & Connect.

In this cycle of funding, the Sisters of Charity Foundation of South Carolina awarded 92 grants totaling $1.4 million to nonprofit organizations across the state. 16 of the 92 organizations to receive a grant are in the Midlands, a $282,000 commitment to the region.

“The Sisters of Charity Foundation is proud to support nonprofits in South Carolina that are making a difference in their communities by seeking to address the factors contributing to poverty,” said Donna Waites, President of Sisters of Charity Foundation of South Carolina. “Through the support of these grants and the strength of working together, we believe we can build a stronger and more compassionate community where everyone has the opportunity to thrive.”

Macon Lovelace, the Chairman of the Board of Sisters of Charity Foundation of South Carolina, added, “these grants represent our unwavering commitment to addressing the root causes of poverty. Along with our core values, our grantmaking is rooted in humility, transparency, equity, and trust, and we are proud to partner with such vital organizations in this cycle.”

These Cycle 1 grant recipients serve all 46 of South Carolina counties, and many of these nonprofits provide services across the state.

About Sisters of Charity Foundation of South Carolina
Sisters of Charity Foundation of South Carolina is a ministry of the Sisters of Charity Health System, founded in 1996. Its mission is to address the needs of families and individuals experiencing poverty throughout the state of South Carolina. Through the strategic use of resources, they seek to reduce poverty through action, advocacy, and leadership.

Uplift Lexington County, a program under Serve & Connect thanks to the support of Lexington Medical Center, hosts Mental Health Pop-Up Events free to the Lexington County community!

Many people in our community may see their stress levels rising due to a variety of economic, social, and political issues. Uplift Lexington County’s Mental Health Pop-Up Events create a safe space for anyone in the community to talk about struggles that may take a toll on their well-being. Uplift Lexington County offers these to reduce stress and provide a personalized, confidential, and impactful mental health conversation. If resources are appropriate or needed, the trained professional from Uplift Lexington County can provide a customized resource list – or if someone just needs a listening ear or to vent without judgment, they will do that too! The Mental Health Pop-Up Events prioritize mental well-being and aim to give our community awareness and tools to take care of themselves and others around them.

 

The benefits of Pop-Up Mental Health Events include:

• A comprehensive understanding of the pain and fears that our community is experiencing.
• A normalization and acceptance of our struggles.
• An inspired belief that sharing any struggle does not lead to shame.
• A tailored resource list of other services that are identified as a need.
• An deeper understanding of our communities needs by accumulating data.

Last year UpLift Lexington County hosted nine mental health pop-ups throughout Lexington County at designated Walmart locations interacting with 115 individuals of which 77 received additional resources provided.
Responses from participants last year indicate that individuals were grateful for the help and friendly faces:

• “Yes, felt great to talk about what I have been going through.”
• “Yes, very friendly and offered help :)”
• “I made great contact for help!”

Announcing the 2023 Mental Health Pop-Up Event Dates and Times:

• June 22nd 12pm-4pm – Leesville Walmart, 115 E Church St, Leesville, SC 29070
• July 8th or 22nd – Food Lion in Gaston, 5204 US-321, Gaston, SC 29053
• August 8th 12pm-4pm – Walmart in West Columbia
• September 2nd- Food Lion in South Congaree, 675 Main St, South Congaree, SC 29170

Aflac has donated $10,000 to support Greg’s Groceries, the signature initiative of Serve & Connect’s Compassionate Acts Program, which provides thousands of boxes of non-perishable food to individuals and families in need.

Greg’s Groceries is the inaugural and signature program of Serve & Connect’s Compassionate Acts Program (CAP) which focuses on providing resources to local law enforcement that may not otherwise be available. Greg’s Groceries is our flagship CAP initiative which provides boxes of nonperishable food for local law enforcement to deliver to individuals or families experiencing hunger or food insecurity. Each box contains enough food to feed a family of four for a week and special to this program every box of food handed out is packed with love by local police officers at a Greg’s Groceries packing event.

The donation provided by Aflac will make it possible for Serve & Connect to increase our support to law enforcement across South Carolina. It makes it possible to distribute 2,000 boxes of Greg’s Groceries to at least 50 agencies statewide.

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ABOUT AFLAC

Aflac believes we have a responsibility to give back to the communities where our corporate offices are located and the majority of our employees live and work. Thanks to our corporate Community Giving Program we strive to make charitable contributions in ways that make a positive impact in Columbia, SC.

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ABOUT GREG’S GROCERIES

Since launching in 2017, more than 200,000 meals have been delivered by over 60 police agencies to food-insecure individuals and families in over 70% of South Carolina counties. Greg’s Groceries is the only multi-agency, statewide initiative of its kind in America. For a complete list of participating departments, see www.serveandconnect.org/gregs-groceries.

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ABOUT SERVE & CONNECT

Serve & Connect is a South Carolina-based nonprofit that works directly with law enforcement, community stakeholders, and citizen leaders to create police and community partnerships that bring about positive change and promotes safe, happy, and resilient communities. For more information, visit serveandconnect.org.

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Serve & Connect is always honored to watch our employees participate in professional development programs that help them grow their careers and capacity to bring their talent to Serve & Connect, the community, and the spaces we serve. Personal and professional growth is a lifelong journey and we are committed to helping our staff achieve every goal they want to reach! We are excited to announce that Macey Silano MSW, our Mental Health Program Manager, recently attended the Koch Associate Program (KAP) with the Stand Together Foundation. Over the course of nine months, she attended online and in-person activities, dedicating incredible effort and time to this incredible opportunity.

The Koch Associate Program (KAP) is a career accelerator for early to mid-career professionals who exhibit a drive to tackle our country’s most pressing challenges in more effective, principled ways. KAP equips these trained associates with the tools, mindsets, and professional community to succeed as social entrepreneurs. KAP creates a framework for individuals excited to find new and better ways to break barriers and eliminate injustice.

KAP participants focused on three pillars to help learners supercharge their careers:

• Self-Actualization

• Principle-Based Management and

• Principles of Progress

“Through the KAP process, I learned so much about myself. KAP drove me to commit my designated time to discovering, developing, and applying my unique gifts to the job I love. When I think about my passion in advocating for mental health: trying to solve any problem that I encounter, I see now it is easier when a person understands it or is close to it, this is where the true innovation starts and change begins to happen. I look forward to utilizing the skills and knowledge obtained through the KAP program in enhancing the work we do here at Serve & Connect. With the tools KAP has taught me I look forward to finding innovative ways to address mental health concerns and needs within our community.”
– Macey Silano, Serve & Connect Mental Health Program Manager

Congratulations Macey! Serve & Connect is incredibly excited to watch the success of KAP learning in your career. Serve & Connect is honored to be the vehicle that you work for as you tackle challenges and provide impact addressing mental health concerns and connections while providing safety and healing for the community!

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For more information on the KAP Program please visit their site: https://standtogetherfellowships.org/koch-associate-program/

Serve & Connect is excited to announce an expansion of its work focused on bridging relationships between law enforcement, mental health service providers, and people experiencing mental illness. Working in partnership with West Columbia Police Department, Cayce Police Department, and the University of South Carolina’s College of Social Work, Serve & Connect launched a program that provides embedded social workers within law enforcement agencies.

The Serve & Connect Social Work Outreach Program makes it possible for law enforcement agencies to receive support identifying individuals in need and connecting them with available services with the goal of diverting people experiencing mental illness away from the criminal justice system and into community-based resources.

The vision for this program is based off the successful model led by Chief Marion Boyce with the West Columbia Police Department. With Chief Boyce’s leadership and the support of the University of South Carolina’s College of Social Work, Serve & Connect is excited to bring this model to the Cayce Police Department. Chief Chris Cowan and the Cayce Police Department were identified as a partner for Serve & Connect’s first program site given their track record of exploring innovative ways to support their citizens.

   “Responding to someone dealing with a mental health crisis is one of the most complex calls a law enforcement officer can handle,” shared Chief Boyce. “It requires specialized training and de-escalation techniques in order to attempt to get them the help they require. These calls, more often than not, also require more time than other calls for service that we deal with. Having an outreach program to follow up with these calls and make sure that our residents have sufficient resources to help them, positively benefits our community.”

Thanks to Chief Boyce’s leadership and the support of the University of South Carolina’s College of Social Work, we are testing expansion of the model in other communities, beginning with a partnership with Cayce Police Department. Cayce Police Department was identified as a partner for the pilot test of the expansion given their track record of exploring innovative ways to support citizens.

  “The City of Cayce Police Department is honored and excited to partner with Serve and Connect in starting our social work program,” shared Chief Chris Cowan. “Law enforcement is seeing a stark rise nationally in mental health components in calls for service and we want to provide assistance in every way possible, specifically by introducing the impactful work of social workers. Everyone deserves respect and resources.  Many mental health resources have diminished, and law enforcement is standing in the gap to find nontraditional ways to support all citizens. This program is similar to the West Columbia Police Department’s program that successfully partners with the University of South Carolina’s College of Social Work. Our aim is to develop and expand their model to support the City of Cayce with hopes of reducing our calls for service.  This will positively impact mental health in our communities and help our patrol officers.”

Macey Silano, Serve & Connect’s Mental Health Program Manager, is leading the effort to expand the Social Work Internship Program. “The program at West Columbia is an amazing tool for law enforcement to utilize. This program assists individuals after incidents. Good, bad, happy, sad, everyone deserves a chance to make a better life for themselves. Sometimes, they just need someone to reach out their hand to help.”  This program would not be possible without the support provided by the University of South Carolina’s College of Social Work internship program.

“On behalf of the University of South Carolina’s College of Social Work and the West Columbia Police Department, I am honored and committed to partner with the Cayce Police Department to expand outreach and service referral efforts in our communities” stated Rhonda DiNovo, MSW Program Coordinator and Graduate Certificate in Drug and Addiction Studies, Coordinator at USC. “Statistics show nearly 30% of all 911 calls for service to our police departments may be related to someone experiencing substance use or mental health crisis. Through our outreach efforts by trained master-level social work students, we provide necessary assessment, brief intervention, referral, and follow-up.  This outreach expansion will offer great benefits by giving more support to our officers, increasing community service referrals, and supporting our community members in their time of need.”

The Serve & Connect Social Work Outreach Program in Cayce launched in January and during its first quarter of operation, the program reached out to 29 individuals for confidential follow-up after a law enforcement interaction. Out of the 29 individuals, nine received resources which ranged from mental health, court information, employment, and additional police department services. In addition to the nine individuals who received a direct referral, several others engaged in discussions with the social worker regarding life challenges and needs.

At Serve & Connect, we envision a future where police and citizens are working together as one community to address root causes of crime and promote safety so that everyone can thrive. Mental health is vital when seeking to promote community wellness and thriving. Our hope is that this model serves as a mechanism to grow the capacity for more law enforcement agencies to promote mental health and wellness. Through the great work generated with the first expansion site at Cayce Police Department, we hope to develop a model that works that can be offered to agencies across South Carolina.