Worcester Business Journal

14 Worcester Business Journal | November 16, 2026 | wbjournal.com BY PAULA J. OWEN WBJ Senior Staff Writer R etired 70-year-old U.S. Army veteran and certi- fied chef Paul J. Arcou- ette has worked in some of the largest kitchens with a brigade of chefs. So when he found his highly coveted Schreiber 1% milk that is a shelf-stable item in the food pantry at Veterans Inc. in Worcester, he was elated. "I've been in some really big kitchens in my day," he said. "ere is nothing I can't cook. I've been exposed to it all." Arcouette, who served in the Army from 1978 to 1987 -- discharged as an E-5 -- was stationed in Manheim, Germany, where he discovered the milk that he said has unmatched quality that he would use in many of his dishes. When he returned to the U.S., he couldn't find it until he saw it in the food pantry at Veterans Inc. on Grove Street. "When I lived in Germany, there was (Schreiber) milk on the shelf that you put in the refrigerator aer you use it. It does not go bad. at doesn't happen with (this) European milk. I had not had it since I was in Germany, so when I saw it in the food pantry at Veterans (Inc.), I thought it was Christmas. It is the quality of the contents in the pantry." He said the finding made him feel like he was more than just a veteran or a person off the street when visit- ing the organization. It made him feel special, worthy and cared for. "When I come here, I love being around other veterans," he said. "I say to all the veterans, 'anks for your service.' Coming here is like leaving your comfort zone and going back into your comfort zone." Arcouette is part of a military fam- ily, as two of his brothers also served: One in the Coast Guard during the Vietnam era and a younger brother who is an Army combat veteran of the Iraq War. His younger brother also served with him in Germany during his active duty. When recently speaking with the WBJ in the historic Civil War room at Veteran's Inc., in the former Worces- ter Armory built in 1889, Arcouette said the assistance he received from the organization is invaluable, and the connections he has made there PHOTO | PAULA J. OWEN For Army veteran, a helping hand makes all the difference From left, Jared O. Jones, Veterans Inc. marketing and communication specialist; retired U.S. Army veteran Paul J. Arcouette; and case manager Sheldon Foster, at Veterans Inc. on Grove Street. FOCUS V E T E R A N S I N B U S I N E S S

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