VOLUME 105 | ISSUE 4
WEEK OF MARCH 20, 2025
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Center for homeless set to open next month BY ELISABETH SLAY ESLAY@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM
Fresh Market & Community Kitchen opened in February and is located in Woodlawn Shopping Center in Littleton.
PHOTO BY ISABEL GUZMAN
Littleton welcomes family-owned grocery Fresh Market & Community Kitchen provides ethnic, organic and traditional food items BY ISABEL GUZMAN ISABEL@COTLN.ORG
Nestled in Littleton’s Woodlawn Shopping Center, the recently opened Fresh Market & Community Kitchen provides a new grocery option in the community. The grocery store offers a diverse selection of products, ranging from organic and traditional produce to Asian spices and Middle Eastern delicacies, alongside a variety of other international items. Fresh Market & Community Kitchen officially opened its doors about a month ago and has transformed the space once occupied by a Family Dollar store. The grocery business is owned and operated by Husain Abdulla, his family and other employees. “Including part-time and full-time em-
ployees, we have 25 people who work here. Well, 27 if you count my two daughters, who are 5 and 4 years old,” Abdulla said. The idea for the store was born out of necessity. After attending an event in downtown Littleton, Abdulla’s wife wanted to pick up groceries on the way home. She wanted to find a nearby halal market or a store that carries foods that cater to Islamic dietary values. Discovering that the closest halal market is in Denver, Abdulla saw an opportunity. “I was already looking for a space to open a project,” he said. “So then it just hit me and I said hold on, why not here? I drove around (this area) and saw a good population here.” During the King Soopers strikes in February, Abdulla said his store had a soft opening.
CALENDAR: 11 | VOICES: 12 | LIFE: 14
“People said they were glad we’re open,” Abdulla said. Organic and traditional fruits and vegetables are housed at the front of the store near the registers. Walking down the aisles filled with Arabic teas, local honey jars and African treats, a shopper would find the meat market at the back of the store, which offers fresh beef, lamb, goat and chicken. In addition to filling the gap for access to halal foods, Abdulla was motivated by the rising demand for affordable organic produce. With the support of his family and financial assistance from the Colorado Housing and Finance Authority, Abdulla’s vision for selling healthy and various foods began taking shape. SEE GROCERY, P9
The Englewood facility that houses the Tri-Cities Homelessness Navigation Center and the Bridge House Ready-to-Work program will officially open to the public in April, after being delayed last year. Following a tour of the facility on March 7, Englewood City Manager Shawn Lewis said the city is looking forward to the opening of the facility. “We’re just so excited about the opportunity that this is going to provide Englewood and the TriCities,” Lewis said. “To be able to take people out of homelessness and into a stable, living environment where they can receive job skills and navigation, caseworkers and those wraparound services will really help them get into permanent housing with successful lives ahead of them.” On one side of the 13,150 square-foot facility, located at 4675 S. Windermere St., will be the Ready-to-Work program of Bridge House, a Boulder-based nonprofit that provides services for adults experiencing homelessness. That side of the building will contain 49 beds for unhoused individuals who are seeking housing placement and other services. The Ready-to-Work (RTW) program is a year-long residential employment program designed to help people experiencing homelessness back into a full-time working SEE SHELTER, P10
2025
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