After retiring from a career in the transportation industry, Archie Jenkins now spends his time delivering food to people in need.

Jenkins coordinates FORCE, the Food Outreach Cooperative of Effingham, which provides assistance through the United Way of Effingham to six local food pantries and the Treutlen House. The food pantries serve more than 1,100 families each month in Effingham County.

"Effingham County is a wonderful county, but Effingham County also has problems like every county in the United States. And I think people have an obligation to try to help make life better for people," he said.

When he isn’t running FORCE, Jenkins is active in Guyton Christian Church — as is his wife, Lainie, when she isn’t busy advocating for others as executive director of the Court Appointed Special Advocates program for the Ogeechee Judicial Circuit.

For their work in the community, Archie and Lainie Jenkins were honored Tuesdaywith this year’s Service Above Self Award from the Effingham Sunrise Rotary Club.

"My attitude through life has been, if something is worth being involved in, it’s worth giving 100 percent," Lainie said.

The couple moved to Guyton after Archie’s "retirement," which didn’t last long. He became chief operating officer for the hunger relief organization America’s Second Harvest of the Coastal Empire, putting to work his logistics skills in the transportation of food, into the food bank and out to distribution centers and food pantries.

Since the Service Above Self Award is given to non-members of the club, Sunrise Rotary got Archie to the meeting by asking him to speak about the importance of community service. Lainie was invited on the ruse that Archie, not both of them, would receive an award.

"As a minister, I have to make a confession. I got them both here under false pretenses," said David Grandgeorge, pastor of Guyton Christian and secretary of Effingham Sunrise Rotary Club, as he began the program.

"We were both just totally surprised. It was a wonderful surprise," Archie said afterward.

After the award presentation, Archie was able to give the speech he had prepared. He encouraged the Rotarians to give back to their community — not for any recognition, but because it is simply the right thing to do.

His closing words were simple, yet carried the potential to make a big difference:

"I urge each and every one of you to look around your communities. The need is there. And when you see it, do something about it."