Ray’s Supermarket opens in Columbia

The heart of a small town is in its stomach.

There’s a few things that can make a small town become a real community instead of just being a few houses clumped together in a rural area.

Things like churches, a school or a community center. Places where neighbors can gather and talk about their day to day lives and share their experiences, instead of just passing each other on their way to work in larger nearby cities.

A good grocery store can serve as one of these focal points for a community, allowing residents to come together and interact with one another while gathering the things that all of us need regardless of whether we’re a doctor in Dothan or a ditch-digger in Blakely.

For a few months, the town of Columbia has been without a grocery store. Buster’s IGA closed in February, and local residents have had to travel to Dothan, Ashford or Blakely to pick up items as basic as bread and bananas.

“I have an 8-month-old baby, and I had to go out of town just for baby’s milk,” Columbia resident Shakira Arbrough said.

When vital businesses leave a small town, it begins to dry up. Folks spend less time there and begin to head to other places that can fill their needs. In time, a town can become just a place where people sleep when they’re not at work instead of a real community.

Thanks to the Yusuf family, that’s not going to happen in Columbia.

The Yusufs opened Ray’s Grocery Store in Columbia on Friday. Shoppers visiting the store Saturday were impressed with the cleanliness of the store, which was opened on the site of the old grocery store, and were happy to have a store back in their town. Shoppers said having a local store was especially a plus for older residents, who may not be able to travel comfortably or at all.

“I’m proud it’s here,” Cecil Clayton said. “The one we had was the pits, but it was better than having to go to Headland and Dothan and bring stuff back. Even though the other one wasn’t good, people used it because they could run in and out.”

Michael Rogers said, “It’s great. It’s bad having to go to Dothan or Blakely for groceries.”

The Yusufs have lived in the Columbia area for 10 years. They originally immigrated to the United States from Brazil. The family also owns a business in Fort Gaines, Ga.

Ray Yusuf said he was pleased to provide a grocery store for his community.

“Every town definitely needs a grocery store,” he said. “It was hard on us when the grocery store closed.”