CARTERET COUNTY, N.C. (March 14, 2025) – The Carteret County Department of Social Services (DSS) has received a $6,100 donation from Jim Dandy Convenience Stores, Coca-Cola Consolidated, and the Humanitarian Endowment for Lasting Public Support (H.E.L.P.S.) to benefit local foster care programs. The contribution will fund after-school learning opportunities, community connections, and financial support for foster children and families.

The donation was made possible through a month-long campaign last December, during which a portion of proceeds from Coca-Cola bottle sales at Jim Dandy stores in Carteret and Craven counties were allocated to the cause. Coca-Cola Consolidated matched the funds, bringing the total to $6,100. This initiative was part of Jim Dandy’s successful “Round Up” program, which allows patrons to contribute to H.E.L.P.S. to benefit local organizations like Carteret County DSS.

“This generous donation reflects the power of community partnerships in making a meaningful difference in the lives of our foster children,” said Jessica Adams, Director of Carteret County DSS. “These funds will help us provide critical resources, reduce financial burdens, and ensure more children can thrive in family or kinship homes.”

This marks the fifth consecutive year that Jim Dandy and Coca-Cola Consolidated have collaborated to support Carteret County’s foster care program. Over the past five years, their joint efforts have raised a total of over $25,000.

“We are inspired by the overwhelming support of our store teams and customers, who came together to help youth in need,” said James Davis, President of J.M. Davis Industries, Inc., the parent company of Jim Dandy Convenience Stores, Davis Fuels, and H.E.L.P.S. “The success of our ‘Round Up’ program demonstrates the community’s commitment to uplifting local charities, and we are proud to continue this initiative to support organizations like Carteret County DSS.”

H.E.L.P.S., a non-profit organization founded in 1992 by the late J.M. Davis Jr., has contributed over $700,000 to more than 250 local non-profit and charitable events since its inception. Jim Dandy Convenience Stores, Davis Fuels, and H.E.L.P.S. are sister organizations wholly owned and managed by J.M. Davis Industries, Inc., a family-owned business based in Morehead City that has been in operation since 1939.

Currently, Carteret County has 97 children in foster care, with 46 placed with relatives such as aunts, uncles, or grandparents.

For more information about the Foster Care Program, how to donate, or how to become a foster parent, contact the Carteret County Department of Social Services at 252-728-3181 or email Allison Baxter at allison.baxter@carteretcountync.gov.

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