Spare change helps fill empty stomachs

WALLACE — With the 2025–2026 school year underway, the downtown Wallace business community is stepping up to make a difference beyond the classroom. While you’re browsing your favorite shops, you might notice something small with a big impact — donation jars for the interdenominational Backpack Ministry.

These jars, now found at local stores including Art of Hope, Blessings in Store, Evans Jewelry, Farriors Flooring, The French Hen, Johnson Furniture, Mo’ Joe Coffee Shop, Pink Willow, The Rustic Chicken, and Westside Creations, offer shoppers an easy way to support a vital cause — weekend meals for children facing food insecurity.

According to a Backpack Ministry media release, the funds raised through these in-store jars supplement the ongoing support already provided by local churches, individuals, businesses, corporate grants, and Duplin Christian Outreach Ministry — all united by a shared mission to care for our community’s youngest and most vulnerable. Every bit of spare change or extra dollar dropped into these jars helps provide kid-friendly, nutritious food for children who may otherwise go without when other meal programs are not available.