New Lincoln Park grocery store expands community resources, provides free, healthy snacks to kids
3 min read
Denver Housing Authority has designed an revolutionary way to offer foods accessibility when catering to a local community. Residents in Denver’s Lincoln Park community have a area to get groceries and prepared foodstuff within walking distance.
Osage Café and Mercado held a grand opening Tuesday to launch their expanded place that features a grocery shop. The market place was packed with neighbors nervous to see the addition to their neighborhood.
Jen, a longtime resident, and her close friends talked to CBS4 outdoors the market place at 1015 Osage Road in Denver.
“All those with low revenue have a hard time finding out and about to the finer dining establishments, but with this and the creations they create, we’re in a position to enjoy definitely prime-notch food right here. I’m really satisfied about this. I know numerous of the other community users are too,” mentioned Jen.
Annie Hancock, Director of Resident and Community Expert services for the Denver Housing Authority, says DHA worked to open up their doorways and give meals entry during the pandemic when individuals ended up out of perform and didn’t have the expert services that had been typically obtainable.
“The biggest issue for us listed here is just keeping matters affordable so that it truly is actually serving the complete community and meeting some of people fundamental requirements in phrases of meals entry. Access to the cultural needs, the pricing requires, the contemporary food demands,” mentioned Hancock.
Hancock states the current market isn’t really listed here to make income.
“We are here to give a wanted resource to the neighborhood. From early on and grasp arranging of this of the district, 1 of the major challenges that arrived to gentle was deficiency of food stuff accessibility and lack of employment options,” stated Hancock.
Many thanks to a grant from Balanced Food for Denver Young ones, they are able to offer no cost meals and snacks for teenagers and children 18 a long time outdated and more youthful. They can come into the shop and decide out wholesome treats any day of the week at no expense.
“We have chicken salad wraps, yogurt, granola bars, fruit. We’re attempting to give a fruit, a grain, a dairy products, and protein to assure that absolutely everyone has accessibility to meals any time they may well will need it,” mentioned Hancock.
Some teens are in the kitchen receiving abilities education by means of the Youth Employment Academy.
It’s a welcome addition that feeds this community in far more methods than one.
“The kids in this article, they are likely to be accessing this for positive. They are going to all go and swim at the park and afterward appear listed here. We are truly energized for all the positive aspects for the people today here,” said Jen.
DHA claims they are open up to finding new vendors to fulfill the desires of folks in the neighborhood. It is really a very numerous local community and they hope no a single will have to go considerably to get what they are seeking for.
