Building Trust, One Meal at a Time: How Serve & Connect is Transforming Communities Across the Carolinas

Ten years ago, I took the first step toward healing and change after losing my husband, Greg, a Forest Acres Police Officer, who was tragically shot and killed in the line of duty in 2015. My grief, especially for our six-month-old son, Sal, was crushing. While I knew that nothing would bring Greg back or erase the pain of losing him, I felt immediately called to be a part of fostering unity between police and the communities they serve. That desire, coupled with my own process of finding peace, led me to see a path forward, one where we work together to keep the people we love safe. This realization created the foundation for a new vision for hope: Serve & Connect. From that moment on, the mission became clear—to foster trust and collaboration between law enforcement and the communities they serve, creating a safer, stronger, and more connected world for everyone.

Today, Serve & Connect is in its 10th year, and I couldn’t be more proud of how far we’ve come. What began as a response to personal tragedy and loss has blossomed into a growing one-of-its-kind movement that sparks positive change through police-community partnerships. We are now in a new, more impactful chapter, empowered by unprecedented funding and the strong partnerships we’ve built across South Carolina and North Carolina.

Just this year, Serve & Connect received a groundbreaking one million-dollar allocation in the South Carolina state budget—championed by State Representative Beth Bernstein and State Senator Brian Adams. This funding will help us deepen our impact, expand our reach, and, most importantly, continue building bridges between law enforcement and the communities they serve. Coupled with our landmark Walmart sponsorship and our partnerships with nearly 70 law enforcement agencies across the Carolinas, we’re poised to reach even more families in need than ever before.

One of the most visible and impactful initiatives of Serve & Connect is Greg’s Groceries, an effort we launched in 2017 in memory of Greg and his generosity with everyone he came in contact with while working in law enforcement. What started as a small project with two agencies – Columbia Police Department and Swansea Police Department – and 50 boxes to help those struggling with food insecurity is now on track to pack and distribute more than 25,000 boxes of non-perishable food to families in need this month. It’s the only multi-agency, statewide initiative of its kind in America, fostering non-enforcement, community-building interactions between law enforcement officers and the public.

Serve & Connect’s mission continues to expand with the launch of the Decker Collective, an initiative aimed at bridging communities along Decker Boulevard in Columbia to promote safety and well-being, especially for young people.  This collection of neighbors around Decker Boulevard will work to unite churches, local law enforcement and SLED, local school districts, and neighbors to promote building trust and increase access to local resources as modeled by our Compass Program. Thanks to the state funding along with support from Richland County, we are in the process of renovating a former church which will serve as a hub for community for those living and serving around Decker Boulevard, serving as a tangible and accessible example of our mission in action.

As we celebrate our first decade, we are rolling up our sleeves to keep doing even more work. Serve and Connect remains committed to reaching more communities, and ensuring that every neighborhood has the resources and support – to thrive. This work would not be possible without the support of our dedicated law enforcement partners, community leaders, and lawmakers who continue to believe in our mission. Together, we’re shaping a future where public safety is about building trust, solving problems collectively, and creating stronger, more resilient communities for future generations.

Thank you to everyone who has been part of this incredible journey. The best is yet to come. Let’s continue to serve and connect.

In service,
Kassy Alia Ray