Littleton Retail Shop Aims To Help Women In Need

By Ashley Brotherton

Since October 2012, Angel Concept has found a home in historic downtown Littleton where it has become a one-of-a-kind, must-visit gift shop. This non-profit gift store stands out amongst its competitors for what it provides. Beyond their array of fine gifts, brought in from all over the world, Angel Concept is a work-skills training program for women who are struggling with substance dependency, homelessness, abuse, and non-existent job skills. Preparing women to become successful employees in retail is not the only mission of the shop. Besides helping women, Angel Concept gives a portion of their sales to local charities. I had the privilege of chatting with the owner of Angel Concept, Sue Hosier, who filled me in about all the goodness that exudes from her heart and this store.

Q: Tell me a little bit about yourself and how Angel Concept came to be.

A: After I moved to Colorado from Chicago 11 years ago, I had the opportunity, after 25 years of being a nurse, to stay home. I hated staying home and realized I needed to find a way to feel useful again. I came up with the idea of having a store where we would sell merchandise and part of the money would go to charity. We had a lot of people who were incredibly supportive and about a year after I thought of the idea, we opened our doors. Thanks to all of the numerous, kind-hearted volunteers, Angel Concept came alive. We are totally self-funded.  Now we have over 30 volunteers who work in the store and off site. We also have had 27 women trainees who get help with their job skills, self-esteem, resumes and interviewing skills.

Q: What are the backgrounds of the women trainees?

A: Well, some of them are homeless, abused, they may have alcohol/drug issues, they may have been unemployed for a long time. We have women ages 18-64, who cover an array of ethnicities and are referred to us by the agency they are working with.

Q: What drives Angel Concept to be successful every day?

A: We have the most wonderful, huge volunteer group who dedicate their time to the shop because they truly believe in these women. They come in and are always here for the store, the trainees and whatever we may need. We are non-judgmental. These women are people too.

Q: Why did you choose downtown Littleton for your shop’s location?

A: It’s a lovely area, it’s accessible to our trainees by the light rail and bus systems and it’s a safe place, a place these women deserve.

Q: What are the rewards and challenges of Angel Concept?

A: We receive 3 new trainees every 3 months. So far, we have helped 27 women.  It is very rewarding to have employers call us to refer women who may need our help. It is great to help them when no one else will. Since everyone is different, it is challenging to meet the needs and be aware of the needs of these women. Although it is wonderful to receive new women every few months, it also presents a challenge because in a sense, we have to start over.

Q: Where do you hope Angel Concept goes in the future?

A: We hope the store can pay for itself. We want to create a reputation that is good enough for other retail shops to ask for our trainees to be future employees. We also want to be able to have more than 3 trainees at a time.

Q: What would your customers be surprised to know about you?

A: That I had no idea what I was doing when I started this. My last retail job was  in a dry cleaner when I was a teenager.

Q: Is there anything else you would like to share?

A: I am just so grateful for the volunteers who helped made this vision come alive. It would great to see more projects like this. And if anyone wants to donate goods to the shop we do accept items such as antiques, fine china, jewelry, etc. Your donation is tax deductible and we really do appreciate it.

Visit Angel Concept at 2510 West Main Street Littleton, Colorado 80120

or online at www.angelconcept.org.