CREST HAVEN – The Rev. Dr. Thomas Dawson Jr., pastor of the SOAR Church in Woodbine and a member of the Coalition for a Safe Community, Cape May County, has received the 2022/2023 FBI Director’s Community Leadership Award – an honor that each year is presented to only one community leader in the state.
According to his nomination form, Dawson is a “true community star and leader who brings hope, peace, and compassion” to Cape May County families.
He was presented with the award last month by Arnold Adams of the Community Outreach Program, FBI Newark Division, and Steven Naum, supervisory special agent in the FBI’s Atlantic City office, during a program hosted by the county commissioners.
Dawson developed and implemented “Operation Keep Warm,” in which the SOAR Church, with the assistance of the FBI’s Newark Division and FBI Newark’s Citizens Academy Alumni Association, held a coat giveaway for the Wildwood School District. More than 200 children’s coats were provided to those in need.
He was also responsible for developing and conducting a health screening for the Wildwood community in partnership with the Wildwood School District and PhRMA.
He is a county Healthy Community Coalition member, which helps communities fight substance abuse, and a county Mental Health, Alcohol, and Drug Abuse board member, which assists the county in planning for treatment and prevention of substance abuse. He also is an Atlantic Cape Community College board member.
Dawson developed a partnership with the State Police community engagement team, working together on many community outreach events throughout the county. He has also partnered with the county Prosecutor’s Office Youth Camp and FBI Newark’s Overview and Career Awareness Day. He has worked with the Prosecutor’s Office to address new police cadets at the Cape May County Police Academy to inform them of community concerns they might encounter.
The food bank of the SOAR Church serves 50 to 75 families monthly. The church also partnered with the Table Ministry in the Kensington area of Philadelphia, which provided food and clothing to those dealing with addiction. The program also gave 100 book bags containing school supplies to youth in the Kensington area.
Dawson participated in the Unity in the Community outreach event developed by the Coalition for a Safe Community, Cape May County, in August 2023, where the group handed out more than 250 book bags and provided a picnic lunch for more than 500 people.
The SOAR Church presented an Autism Awareness Walk in April to raise awareness and financial support for the special needs schools in Cape May County. The walk raised $8,000 that was given to Ocean Academy and Woodbine Elementary special needs classes. Over the last eight years, the event has raised over $40,000.
The church participates in the county Health Alliance, which helps children who are experiencing adverse childhood experiences. It has also partnered with the Cape Assist Peer Leadership Conference to help train 500 local students at the group’s yearly conference.
Dawson leads the Coalition for a Safe Community in developing a chaplain program in the county.
In terms of engagement with the FBI, Dawson’s connections to residents have allowed the FBI Newark Division Community Outreach Program to create new partnerships in the county, including a program to educate county residents about bias crimes.
In addition:
- The FBI was given the opportunity to educate youth from the Cape May County Prosecutor’s Summer Youths program on the FBI experience and career.
- The FBI was given the opportunity to engage with many residents of the county through community outreach events such as civil rights presentations highlighting bias and hate crimes, including reporting with local law enforcement.
- The FBI developed several relationships with local law enforcement agencies and community outreach departments.
- The FBI Citizens Academy Newark got the opportunity to partner with the Coalition for a Safe Community, Cape May County.
