Denver Housing Authority (DHA) just announced Decatur Fresh Market, operating under the Youth Employment Academy (YEA), will open in the Sun Valley neighborhood of West Denver on November 2 at 7 a.m. Decatur Fresh is an international grocery market, workforce training program, and community space for the Sun Valley Neighborhood and broader West Denver community.
Located in a food desert, the 1,800-square-foot market will bring affordable, nutritious, and international food options to the community. In addition, Decatur Fresh, working in conjunction with YEA, will provide a paid training and internship program for Sun Valley residents interested in growing their careers in customer service or grocery store management. Decatur Fresh is located at 995 N. Decatur Street in Denver.
“Sun Valley is home to 2,000 residents who, until the opening of Decatur Fresh Market, didn’t have access to a grocery store within 2.5 miles,” said David Nisivoccia, executive director of Denver Housing Authority. “Our goal is for the market to become a cultural destination that celebrates and preserves Sun Valley’s diversity and unique fabric, and for the market to also serve as a shared community space.”
Decatur Fresh Market will offer culturally relevant bulk dry goods and spices, produce, meat and dairy products, frozen items, grab and go breakfast and lunch, coffee, juice bar, household staples, and other items. The store will partner with the Osage Café and the Sun Valley Grow Garden to offer fresh, seasonal produce and weekly specials, like breakfast and grab-and-go lunch options.
Decatur Fresh will operate a paid training internship program for youth, ages 14 to 24, interested in retail management and customer service. Residents receive necessary certifications in a classroom setting, complete a 120-hour internship, build concrete skillsets in food retail and work with Decatur Fresh staff to determine their next educational or career opportunity.
The market features a mural along the south-facing facade that was created by Arts Street. The original design of the mural was created by Jada King, a Sun Valley youth. The Sun Valley cohort for Arts Street painted it and each youth painted a different vegetable in the mural to make it their own.
Photo courtesy of DHA