Serve & Connect Honored by FBI with National Award

Serve & Connect awarded the FBI Director’s Community Leadership Award for their community and service work across South Carolina.

Serve & Connect, a nonprofit organization founded in 2015, has made its mark on the Midlands and beyond with the work that they do to form and nurture community partnerships. The work that they do is so impactful for the communities and citizens that they partner with that it has gained national attention and recognition. On Friday, April 19, 2024, Serve & Connect was honored with the prestigious Director’s Community Leadership Award in recognition of their efforts to build bridges between law enforcement agencies and the communities that they serve.

The Director’s Community Leadership Award ceremony was hosted by FBI Director Christopher Wray, who also had the distinct privilege of handing out the awards to each recipient. Kassy Alia Ray, Founder and CEO of Serve & Connect, accepted the award on behalf of the organization in the ceremony at FBI Headquarters.

The Director’s Community Leadership Award (DCLA) was created in 1990 by the FBI as a way to acknowledge dedicated individuals and organizations from around the United States who strengthen their communities and reduce crime and violence through their extraordinary work. These individuals and are known for putting others first, for breaking through barriers to form new partnerships, and for being community leaders. The FBI has 56 field offices and each year, one recipient from each field office is honored with the DCLA. Serve & Connect is the 2023 award recipient for South Carolina’s FBI field office.

You can learn more about the Director’s Community Leadership Award program at https://www.fbi.gov/how-we-can-help-you/outreach/dcla