Six years ago, the Lexington Police Department first helped people in the community receive a Thanksgiving meal while als providing resources to live a better life.

Next week, the effort continues, with the annual Bountiful Harvest. The event, presented in partnership with Serve and Connect, a local nonprofit that looks to strengthen bonds between law enforcement and the communities they serve, returns to the Icehouse Amphiteater Nov. 21. The effort also pulls in various other local law enforcement agencies, including the Lexingotn County Sheriff’s Department.

“We wanted to create an event to give to those in need during the holidays but also one where those who can give or provide resources can go,” said Lexington Police Sgt. Cameron Mortenson, the department’s public information officer. “Creating a community resource was important.”

He said the department has 20 to 30 community partners any given year for the event, ranging from pregnancy services to fatherhood counseling to GED completion to financial counseling services. For this year, Serve and Connect is still finalizing the community partners, but Mortenson said they hope to have around 30. 

Mortenson emphasized the “strong partnership” they continue to maintain with the nonprofit, founded by Kassy Alia Ray after she lost her husband Greg Alia in 2015 to an on-duty shooting in Forest Acres.

“The first five years was Lexington Police Department and Serve and Connect,” the sergeant said. “Last year we invited the Lexington sheriff’s department and Cayce Police Department because we saw zip codes from those areas coming.” 

Mortenson said that last year they had people from 21 zip codes attend the event, including visitors from Saluda and Orangeburg.

“It shows the depth of need for an event like this,” he offered. “It’s been really amazing to see the impact.”

Mortenson explained Bountiful Harvest isn’t just an event where people come and get a box of food and go on. It’s about inviting the community out to get to know one another.

“We wanted to stay away from an event where people roll up and get food and leave,” he said. “We have passports where people can go from community partner to another and get their passport stamped.”

The event starts at 9 a.m. and goes until 4 p.m. or until all the food boxes are gone. Mortenson said there are three parts to the event, which includes the 200 food boxes known as Greg’s Groceries (named after Greg Alia), the community resources and the hot sit-down meal catered by Hudson’s Smokehouse BBQ. 

This year, Greg’s Groceries will have the essentials for a Thanksgiving meal, including stuffing, macaroni and cheese, vegetables and cranberry sauce plus a frozen chicken. This is the first year the boxes will include a protein, Mortenson said. 

“It’s a significant meal to create conversation and an opportunity for community partners, officers and volunteers to sit down for a meal,” he said of Thanksgiving. 

Mortenson recalled a crystalizing moment from the first year of the Bountiful Harvest.

“The first year, one young couple around 18 and 19 years old said, ‘We came here because we needed holiday groceries for a Thanksgiving meal but we didn’t realize all these resources. This will be our Thanksgiving meal but also benefits us for years to come,’” he said.. “The wife was in tears. It just shows the changes it can bring to one’s life.”