08/30/2026
We are so pleased to introduce Arlene!
If you want to know the Highway Community Kitchen story, you need to know a little about Arlene.
Arlene has been here from the very beginning, when the kitchen started with a somewhat full freezer, no money, the support of Highway Pentecostal Church and no real idea of what it would someday become. But a crazy amount of hope.
From those early days, Arlene has known she is doing God’s work. She doesn’t need to talk a lot about that or be noticed for what she does. She simply shows up and lives it.
Arlene is an incredible cook and isn’t afraid to try something new. It will always be delicious. She and Howard are a team, and both of them have given countless hours to this kitchen.
She’s also our treasurer, and nobody watches over HCK’s money with the accuracy she does. She knows how many meals we’ve served, what they cost before and after donations, where the bargains are and where every penny went. Every penny, needs repeating.
Receipts are never optional.
And occasionally when the rest of us become convinced that we absolutely need something we really don’t. Arlene takes a look and gives us a quick “No.” and back on the shelf it goes.
She’s always right.
That’s part of what makes Arlene so special. She is quiet and steady in a kitchen that isn’t always either of those things. She doesn’t need to be out front or receive the credit.
She may not be the person wrapping a scarf around a guest’s neck on a cold winter day, but she makes sure we have the scarves.
Arlene makes sure there is always enough. Importantly she makes sure we will still be able to do tomorrow what we are doing today.
She is quieter than many of us, but when she speaks, we listen. And when we speak she listens to. She shows up, does what needs doing, and quietly makes sure the rest of us can keep doing it too. She is a large part of the hard work, and the fun and laughter.
That’s Arlene. Steady, practical, generous, witty, incredibly kind, so much fun, and very loved.
So if you see Arlene today, let her know she is seen and she is appreciated. Because without her, there simply wouldn’t be a Highway Community Kitchen.
We love you, Ar. You are such an important part of this kitchen. ❤️
