In the early 2000’s, Rev. James Page, then pastor of the Adoram Baptist Church of Wallace, and Rev. Philip Gladden, then pastor of the Wallace Presbyterian Church of Wallace, began meeting for lunch at Andy’s (now Highway 55) in Wallace. Over hamburgers and fries, they sketched out on a napkin the outline of their vision of a centralized crisis center that would serve residents of Duplin County. Their motivation to found such a crisis center was the constant stream of people visiting local churches and asking for assistance with light bills, rent payments, food, and other life necessities. The two friends imagined a central crisis center supported by contributions from local churches, businesses, and individuals that could verify the needs and respond accordingly.
For many months faithful members of a planning team worked to make the vision a reality. They visited similar crisis centers in surrounding counties. They developed initial policies and procedures. They received an IRS 501(c)(3) non-profit designation and a North Carolina Charitable Solicitation License. They recruited volunteers to work in the center. There was only one problem — they did not have a physical location for the crisis center.
Rev. Gladden was invited to speak to the Wallace Rotary Club at Norris’s Restaurant and explain the concept of Duplin Christian Outreach Ministries. In his presentation, Rev. Gladden stated the need for a building to house the center. His Rotary Club talk was written up in the Wallace Enterprise newspaper. A local dentist, Dr. Darren Sholar, read the article, contacted Rev. Gladden, and offered a building located at 514 S. Norwood Street in Wallace. Small repairs and painting were done. Thanks to Dr. Sholar’s generosity, DCOM has had a rent-free space for its ministries for twenty years.
DCOM was dedicated on Sunday afternoon, July 5, 2005 and officially opened for business the following Tuesday. After two years of volunteer leadership, the board of directors hired Jeralene Merritt as the Executive Director. Ms. Merritt served DCOM with distinction for eighteen years and retired at the end of April 2025. Under her leadership, DCOM expanded its ministries and developed a reputation throughout Duplin County and beyond for trustworthiness and reliability.
Over the last twenty years, DCOM has added Blessings in Store on W. Main Street in Wallace. This thrift store offers quality merchandise at exceptional prices. The income from sales supports the crisis assistance of DCOM. DCOM also partners with six food pantries throughout Duplin County and works with the Food Bank of Central and Southeastern North Carolina in Wilmington to supply the pantries with needed food items. DCOM played a vital role in hurricane relief efforts with the Disaster Recovery Group of Duplin County following Hurricane Florence in September 2018. Another important ministry partnership has developed with the Feed Our Hungry Children/Backpack Ministry program that serves schoolchildren throughout Duplin County year-round. DCOM has been and continues to be involved in numerous other outreach programs and ministries.
Tomme Maier, DCOM’s new Executive Director, began her work in May 2025. Ms. Maier brings a wealth of experience in non-profit work and crisis assistance. Under her leadership, DCOM will undoubtedly continue to grow and serve the residents of Duplin County who are experiencing an unexpected crisis in their lives.
