Local man prepares to give away 1,200+ backpacks to area students

TEACHEY, NC (WWAY) — For families struggling to make ends meet, back-to-school shopping can be a challenge. One local man is turning a personal loss into a mission to help thousands of students start the school year with confidence.

At 22, Jalen Wallace has a goal of filling more than 1,000 backpacks for students across the Cape Fear region.

Wallace is the founder of Positive Shenanigans Only, a social media business and brand he started last year. For the second year in a row, he is hosting a back-to-school backpack giveaway, this time for families in New Hanover, Pender, and Duplin counties.

“In my mind, I was like, let’s do a book bag giveaway for the underserved youth because growing up, I didn’t see many of those, if any,” Wallace said. “I never saw, but that’s where the idea came from.”

Last year, Wallace gave away about 300 backpacks. This year, he said, the community response has exceeded his expectations.

About 1,200 backpacks, along with pencils, paper, binders, and other school supplies, have been donated.

But for Wallace, Positive Shenanigans Only is about more than providing school supplies.

He said he created the brand to show young people that there are positive alternatives to street life.

“Five years ago, my brother got killed. He was in the street life and he was just part of the wrong crowd,” Wallace said. “And I just want to show the youth coming behind me that there is another option because oftentimes if you’re not an athlete, you feel like the streets is, that’s it. PSO is like a memoir of my brother.”

Wallace has received support from businesses across the Cape Fear region, including House of Raeford, Jerry Allen’s Sports Bar, Duplin Winery and others.

He also received help from Glenn Rushdan, co-founder of Networking ILM.

Rushdan said his organization had been planning its own back-to-school giveaway before deciding to partner with Wallace.

Rushdan said he also knows firsthand what it is like for a student to start the school year without new supplies.

“I used the same book bag from, I’d say, the beginning of middle school until the beginning of high school before I was able to get a new one,” Rushdan said. “I know the feeling of not coming prepared or not being able to have this or that going back into the school year.”

Rushdan said receiving a new backpack and school supplies can give students a sense of confidence heading into a new school year.

“Knowing that they have a new bookbag, they have new supplies, just supplies them with a sense of confidence,” he said.

Now, Wallace said he is focused on reaching as many students as possible and making their day a little better.

“I just love being positive and just love making people’s days because you never know what someone is going through and what they need,” Wallace said. “So just to be able to be that little light in the community, that makes my heart smile.”

The backpack giveaway will be held on Saturday at two locations.

The first will be at Farrior Park in Wallace from 9:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. The second will be at the Derick Davis Community Center on Manly Avenue in Wilmington from 2 to 6 p.m.

The giveaway is open to everyone.