Nieda Abbas, the Co-Executive Director of Havenly, is from Iraq and has always had an entrepreneurial spirit. Before finding her way to New Haven in 2014, Nieda was the proud owner of three restaurants in Baghdad before being displaced in 2005. Her love of food, culture, and health led her in 2018 to start with partner executive director Jane Dowd to open Havenly. 

“Havenly breaks out of models of integration that prioritize rapid employment and economic self-sufficiency over longer-term education and political consciousness development. Our community café serves as a learning space, source of income, and organizing network for refugee women.

This non-profit Café and homestyle kitchen is located in downtown New Haven and is entirely operated by refugee and immigrant women stuck in cycles of poverty. Through their “Havenly fellowship,” female immigrants and refugees undergo a 6-month training program that involves gaining valuable experience working at the Havenly café to develop leadership, economic, and community skills needed to support themselves. 

Havenly has significantly impacted our community, with 21 refugee and immigrant women trained and graduated from the fellowship program; of those, 95% have secured a job with an average starting salary of $18/hr. 

Elm City Market is proud to support Havenly’s mission by carrying their delicious Baklava at our market—crunchy layers of phyllo dough and chopped walnuts glazed with sweet syrup and hints of vanilla. The unique twist on their classic baklava: it’s 100% vegan.

Show your support for local organizations and vendors doing great work in our community by visiting Havenly at 25 Temple Street or picking up their delicious baklava from Elm City Market!