Under the guidance of Dita Terry of the Love Kitchen in Knoxville, Tennessee, Highway Transport officially embarked on a new outreach initiative titled Highway Helping Hands. Highway’s sales team is beginning to do hands-on outreach in each community where our company operates. This inaugural project involved working inside The Love Kitchen. As part of a regularly-scheduled sales meeting, the group sets aside a special block of time for an important group activity…service. While visiting Love Kitchen, members of the Highway Transport sales team learned a lot while packing to-go food containers and then distributing the meals curbside. This new initiative is led by Michelle Horbach, National Account Executive at Highway Transport.
Employees at Highway Transport locations in Knoxville collected travel-sized toiletry items to donate to Love Kitchen, and Highway’s sales team made sure the items went to the right place for distribution. The Love Kitchen not only provides meals; they also work with local agencies to secure used clothing. Travel-sized hygiene products are also bundled and given to homebound, homeless and unemployed people of all races and faiths. In addition to packing to-go meals, the Highway Transport sales team filled plastic baggies with dog food, because many Love Kitchen recipients appreciate help with serving their pets.
History of Love Kitchen
After receiving their nursing certifications and graduating from Knoxville College, twin sisters Helen and Ellen started working at the University of Tennessee Medical Center in Knoxville. All throughout her days of working at the hospital, Helen would frequently see indigent patients coming to the Emergency Room and while waiting to see a doctor, they would oftentimes be hungry but not have enough money to purchase food at the hospital cafeteria nor even from the vending machines. On her breaks, Helen would go to the cafeteria and using her own money, purchase food for the families waiting on medical care in the ER waiting room. After retiring, Helen and Ellen decided to carry this effort into their community by opening “The Love Kitchen” as a place where anyone and everyone could come and receive food. The sisters served their first meals to 22 people on February 14, 1986. Highway Transport is proud to be headquartered in Knoxville, Tennessee, and the Love Kitchen is the perfect place to launch Highway Helping Hands.
Discover more in-depth about how Love Kitchen got started.
Communities Where Highway Transport Lives
Highway’s sales team is beginning to do hands-on outreach in each community where our company operates. The next outreach effort is near our new location in Joliet, Illinois. Highway Transport is a tanker trucking and logistics company. Each professional chemical tanker driver is required to be domiciled within a certain mile radius of each service center. Connecting with every local community is an important component of Highway Transport’s message “Our Promise. Delivered.”
Scenes from Highway Helping Hands Inaugural Outreach Effort
Scenes from our first Highway Helping Hands initiative which launched at the Love Kitchen in Knoxville, Tennessee on March 14, 2022. Highway’s outreach program is spearheaded by Michelle Horbach, National Account Executive, Northeast Region.
After placing food into containers, Highway Transport employees then served Love Kitchen meals curbside in carryout containers.
Christy Williams (Highway Transport Sr. Vice President of Sales & Marketing) hauling meals to the curb for distribution outside of The Love Kitchen in Knoxville, Tennessee.
Beautiful mural in lobby of Love Kitchen building in Knoxville, Tennessee depicting twin sisters, Helen and Ellen, founders of the organization. Ellen Turner passing away on April 22, 2015 followed by her sister Helen Ashe on February 13, 2018. Even though both sisters are no longer with us at The Love Kitchen, their spirit lives on through the dedicated volunteers who keep their mission alive and well every day.
Highway Transport National Account Executive Brant Van Houten stacking and moving meals in preparation for curbside delivery outside of The Love Kitchen in Knoxville, Tennessee.
Highway Transport National Account Executive Michelle Horbach, who spearheaded the Highway Helping Hands effort and plans future projects in all communities nationwide.
Highway Transport Sales & Marketing Team in the lobby of the Love Kitchen.
Providing food for pets – Highway Transport Sales & Marketing group filling plastic baggies with dogfood in order to provide Love Kitchen recipients with food for their pets.
Christy Williams of Highway Transport and Dita Terry of Love Kitchen. Dita directed the Highway team + a multitude of volunteers. Dita leads the organization by directing volunteers on their assigned tasks.