Chris Evans Seeking straight talk from elected officials A few years ago, actor Chris Evans was watching pundits debate, when he realized that he—someone who’s passionate and outspoken about politics, particularly on social media—didn’t actually know that much about the policy being discussed. “When I went to try and educate...
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A South Carolina-based nonprofit founded by the widow of a slain law enforcement officer is continuing its efforts to support families whose loved ones were also killed or wounded while “protecting and serving” the people of the Palmetto State. Serve & Connect – a group founded in 2015 by Kassy...
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In 2015, Kassy Alia of South Carolina was a 28-year-old wife to a police officer, Greg, and mother to a 6-month-old son. Then, her world was torn apart when her husband was killed in the line of duty. Now, Alia is paying tribute to his memory, using her Heroes in...
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She still has the shoulders. They are the shoulders of a swimmer. A decade ago, Kassy Alia Ray was on the swimming team at the University of South Carolina, and those shoulders helped power her through the waters of the Southeastern Conference. They helped her stay afloat and rocket from...
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Blog
Join us virtually as we enter the next phase of COMPASS in Columbia Serve & Connect and the North Columbia Youth Empowerment Initiative. along with the Columbia Police Department, Richland County Sheriff’s Department, and the City of Columbia Mayor’s Office will share progress in North Columbia through the COMPASS program.The...
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COLUMBIA, S.C.— Serve & Connect has announced that their fifth annual gala and fundraiser will be held virtually this year on Friday, November 13, at 7:30 in the evening. Tickets will go on sale on September 8 and will be available for purchase at https://serveandconnect.net/celebrate. This year marks five years…
We are proud to announce hiring Omari Fox full-time as our Lead Community Organizer. Mr. Fox has worked with Serve & Connect since January 2020. Mr. Fox has served as a leader within the North Columbia Youth Empowerment Initiative since joining the steering committee in April 2019. Community artist and organizer...
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It has been more than a week since George Floyd’s death. Mr. Floyd’s death was the result of a significant act of injustice. Police officers are sworn to serve and protect their communities. The acts of the four Minneapolis Police Officers were in direct violation of this oath. Our action...
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Yesterday afternoon, we hosted a conference call with our police partners, community service providers, and neighborhood leaders in North Columbia. The goal was to create space for a coordinated community response. Open dialogue is a critical tool for ensuring access to resources during the #coronavirus response. Here are a few tips for...
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At Serve & Connect, we believe in the power of partnerships as a driver for safer, more connected communities. We believe that police are a critical aspect of promoting community safety, but they can’t do it alone. Most of the issues related to community safety are grounded in non-criminal actions...
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Scotty and Susan Mill, owners of Palmetto Automatic Sprinkler Company, (PASCO), annually host an event to raise funds for a local charity. The event is held at their farm on the Broad River and this year's recipient organization is Serve & Connect. Funds are raised through the sale of...
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Take a look at this testimonial from a Camden police officer who used Greg’s Groceries to make a difference in a family’s life, spark positive change in the community, and show us that, Together We Are Better! When Lieutenant Penny Lloyd heard news of that a citizen she knew was...
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Meet our seventh and final finalists for the 4th Annual Officer Gregory Alia Award, PFC Steffonie Cockerill of the Town of Lexington Police Department. PFC Cockerill was nominated by Buckle Buddies for her passion and advocacy for child safety, a trait recogized by others including her selection as Law Enforcement…
Meet our sixth finalist for the 4th Annual Officer Gregory Alia Award, PFC Jessica Davis of the Ware Shoals Police Department. PFC Davis was nominated by both her department and by a local business owner in Ware Shoals. Her nomination stated, “My family and I have considered her a friend…
History
BY MELISSA ANDREWS A dark shadow was cast on the gloomy afternoon of Sat., Oct. 3, 2015. A dark yet still somehow beautiful shadow created by the blue uniforms of hundreds of police officers solemnly marching down Devine Street on their way to the funeral of a hometown hero. It…
by Jamal Goss Thursday, December 14th 2017 COLUMBIA, SC (WACH)– There’s a legacy that lives through the wife of a fallen hero. She recognizes its importance. In 2015 Kassy Alia’s husband, Gregory was killed in the line of duty. He was an officer with the Forest Acres Police Department. She’s…
BY CLIF LEBLANC cleblanc@thestate.com The man who shot a Forest Acres police officer in the head, killing him, was sentenced Tuesday to life in prison without any chance of parole. Jarvis Hall, 36, admitted his guilt in a Richland County courtroom in the slaying of Greg Alia, a new father…
BY GLEN LUKE FLANAGAN gflanagan@thestate.com Friday marks one year since Forest Acres police officer Greg Alia was shot and killed while responding to a suspicious person call at Richland Mall. Then came the deadly flood in October. Amid the chaos, the young officer’s wife, Kassy Alia, worked to honor his memory by…
by Allen Wallace October 1, 2017 Alia and Heroes in Blue, the organization she founded in memory of her husband Greg, a Forest Acres police officer, hosted a day of remembrance and call for compassionate action Saturday, the second anniversary of Greg’s death. “We are coming together to hear different voices…
Our Founder
I was deeply honored to be asked to speak here today and also deeply humbled. I felt this tremendous responsibility to craft a message that spoke to the message of Dr. King while also respecting the lives and experiences of everyone who is here today. As I was grappling with...
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COLUMBIA, SC (WACH) – This month’s Jefferson Award winner is leading the movement to help give back to the police community. Kassy Alia’s husband, Greg, was killed in the line of duty in Sept. of 2015. Since then Alia created the Serve and Protect organization and helps not only give…
BY AVERY G. WILKS awilks@thestate.com May 07, 2016 COLUMBIA, SC The tender moments and parenting milestones are often Kassy Alia’s alone to savor. When 1-year-old Sal Alia said his first word – “dog” – this winter, Kassy wished her husband could have been there. It was the same when Sal…
BY MELISSA ANDREWS Every year, Central Carolina Community Foundation and Columbia Metropolitan Magazine partner to honor people in our community who are making a difference. This year, three individuals and one company have been selected, and they are each extraordinary in their own right, having found a calling to help…
COLUMBIA, SC As the wife of a police officer, I felt the polarization in our nation grow wider and wider with each negative story that came out involving police. Either you supported police or you didn’t. The voices of those who didn’t were like a stabbing knife when my husband,…
By Angie Jackson ajackson@postandcourier.com Aug 13, 2017 COLUMBIA — For more than a year after her husband was gunned down in the line of duty, Kassy Alia couldn’t even say the suspect’s name. She didn’t look at his mugshot. Avoidance was her survival tactic. Greg Alia, a Forest Acres police…
Our Work
In mid-January, a Columbia Police Department officer approached an occupied car in a parking lot at 3 a.m. He did not expect what he was about to discover. A family of seven, including five kids ranging from ages seven-months-old to nine-years-old, had been living out of their car since October...
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By Amanda Shaw and Sarah Danik Mar 19, 2016 GREENVILLE, SC (FOX Carolina) – Kassy Alia understands all too well the pain of losing a spouse in law enforcement. Her husband, Greg Alia, was a Forest Acres police officer fatally shot inside Richland Mall in September 2015. Alia, 32, served on the…
By Raven Bouie, Sierra Hancock, and Amanda Shaw Oct 24, 2017 GREENVILLE, SC (AP) – An Upstate man was ticketed in connection with a collision that killed an SC Highway Patrol trooper in October after investigators say he fell asleep just prior to the accident. Sergeant Jimmy Bolt said the…
December 22, 2017 Allen Wallace An unmarked black SUV arrived suddenly at Park North Apartments in Lexington Thursday evening, with its siren wailing and lights flashing. It was greeted by excited children laughing and shouting, knowing that it was bringing Santa Claus. A similar scene played out in the Latimer…
BY CATHERINE MUCCIGROSSO cmuccigrosso@heraldonline.com January 16, 2018 YORK COUNTY York County residents or others wanting to help after four law enforcement officers were shot in York County can make donations to a Go Fund Me page or a South State Bank account. Four York County police officers were shot in a gunfight during…
BY SUSAN ARDIS sardis@thestate.com December 05, 2017 Heroes in Blue has announced the participation of 40 local restaurants in support of their Feed an Officer campaign, a day where the community can show their appreciation of law enforcement by providing lunch at one of the restaurants. Through Sunday, Dec. 10,…
