CARTERET COUNTY, N.C. (Feb. 23, 2026) – The Carteret County Department of Social Services (DSS) has received a $7,807 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 $7,807. 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.

“We’re so thankful for this support and for the partnership behind it,” said Jessica Adams, director of Carteret County DSS. “Donations like this go a long way in helping us meet the needs of our foster children and the families who care for them. It helps ease some of the financial strain and allows us to focus on making sure every child has the opportunity to grow and succeed in a safe, supportive home.”

This marks the sixth consecutive year that Jim Dandy and Coca-Cola Consolidated have collaborated to support Carteret County’s foster care program. Over the past six years, their efforts have raised a total of over $32,000.

“It’s always encouraging to see how our store teams and customers step up when there’s a 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 ‘Round Up’ campaign is a simple way to make a real impact, and those small donations add up quickly. We’re proud to support Carteret County DSS and help strengthen the community we call home.”

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 72 children in foster care, with 28 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 Noah Tucker at Noah.Tucker@carteretcountync.gov.

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