Leslie Carpenter
Where I live: My husband and I live in a condo just off of Garland close to the University of Arkansas. We’re a newly married couple with not much space to live in. My husband bought the condo about six months before we met.
Occupation: Community outreach manager at Youth Bridge, a local nonprofit that works with adolescents who are at-risk for substance abuse, homelessness and mental or behavioral health issues. I handle all of the outreach events and social events such as fundraisers; do all of our volunteer coordinating; handle donation coordinating; and run our Safe Place program. We recruit local fire departments and businesses and they post a sign outside their space to let kids and teenagers know that it’s a safe place to go if they need help.
My favorite space: My kitchen.
Why? I love to cook. I grew up in a family of very good Southern cooks. Every house I’ve ever lived in, the kitchen has always been the lifeblood of the house. My husband is always telling me how amazed he is at what I can do in a tiny little kitchen. I literally have a tiny, apartment half-stove, and I’m feeding him things like beef tenderloin with a gorgonzola cream sauce and roasted green beans and stuff like that.
If I could do one thing to improve this space I would: Make it bigger.
— Tracy M. Rogers