Daily Inspiration: Meet Davine Calkins

Today we’d like to introduce you to Davine Calkins

Hi davine, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today?
My husband and I started the process of getting the business structure in place in 2017 while I was on staff, full time at a local organization, Fresh Coast Alliance, as their Employment Director. I was doing the employment readiness, training and life coaching to men and women that were returning to our communities after incarceration. I was seeing a huge discrepancy in their readiness to take on the huge tasks of finding employment and truly being ready with what was needed to be successful in their every day. The main mission of The 490 Bakery is to be hope and encouragement to men and women coming out of incarceration, additionally we purpose to be a blessing to our communities.
As we are able, we do hire folks on a short term basis to help get them on their feet and also continue to support organizations like Fresh Coast, that are doing a great deal of the daily work to help these amazing men and women.

Our vision is that every person that encounters our space, will know that they have value and worth. That no matter where they have been or what they have walked through, we care. So whoever walks through our doors or visits at the Farmers Market, whether they have a record, are struggling with addiction, love someone that is, or is just visiting the area, you are important.

Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
It has had its challenges, also its great rewards in the struggles.
Covid was a big obstacle and there has been a number of ripple effects from that; supply chain, food costs.
We are committed to this and so thankful for how each year brings a little growth and lessons learned

Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
I am a pretty open book and speak quite freely about the things that impacted me the most, but I think that a great deal of what I bring to the table is just a love of people and specifically the underdog.
My father was an alcoholic and left when I was a young girl. I watched my mom struggle to make ends meet for my sister and I and also heard the comments that people made about us and was always so impressed at how my mom continued to show kindness in spite of the ways that some were. I was bullied off and on throughout my childhood and that really impacted me deeply. To be made to feel like I was worthless because of how I looked or my size, left some deep scars.
When I was a child I made a decision to follow Christ and commit my life to Him. That was not always easy for me, but one thing I soon realized was that even when I did not follow Him, He always pursued me with His perfect love. He saw the real me and put many people in my life that looked beyond what the world saw and showed me unconditional love. That is the kind of person I want to be to others.

What do you like best about our city? What do you like least?
I love the community that I have always seen, always thought of us as a “Big Small Town”
As we are growing, I think it is important that we don’t lose the vision of who we are.
Community is about all of us working together and not being “on sides”

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.the490bakery.com
• Instagram: the490bakery
• Facebook: the490bakery