May Jefferson Award Winner: John and Jodie Calkins

BRIDGEPORT, W.Va (WDTV) - Once a month, WDTV and Antero Resources award one deserving community member with a Jefferson Award. For the month of May, we’re honoring John and Jodie Calkins.

They are a husband and wife team that help feed communities in Randolph County.

John Calkins and his wife Jodie have fed the hungry through church ministry and now through the food trailer they own called “Smoked Barbeque” in Elkins. Proceeds from barbeque sales go to help fight hunger in our area.

“Smoked Barbeque came about through COVID actually,” John said. “We were feeding meals to people at the Methodist Church downtown. Then when COVID hit, everybody quit feeding. All the churches and everybody were scared. I looked at my wife and said, ‘We can’t quit.’ We ended up buying a food trailer and so now what we do is put our proceeds from our food truck towards the community.”

John says he learned a long time ago about the importance of giving back.

“I grew up in Weston, Lewis County, out in a place called Churchville,” John said. “I went to St. Patrick’s Church. That lit the fire for me for the Lord, which that fire still burns deeply today.”

Because of their generosity, John and Jodie have been chosen as this months Jefferson Award winners. John says it’s not about being recognized.

“I call it a blessing. A blessing. And to give back, what a blessing,” John said. “You don’t understand the joy that you miss when you don’t give back. To receive, that’s nice. It’s nice to be given things. But to give back, now that’s the blessing.”

Through their good works and ministry John and Jodie have helped countless people. They would like more people to get involved.

“A way to give back if you want to, don’t just sit on your rear end,” John said. “Get out there and do something. Go to your local churches, your local food pantries. There’s ways to do things.

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