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REDSTONE • REVIEW
DECEMBER 13, 2017 / JANUARY 17, 2018
LYONS Giving tree brings Lyons holiday cheer By Mark Browning Redstone Review LYONS – Do Lyons residents still take care of each other, like in the good old days, or has that small town custom gone Browning by the wayside as the community has changed and grown? Judging by the response in the last two years to the Giving Tree program sponsored by the Lyons Emergency Assistance Fund (LEAF), the answer is that people in Lyons still come together to help other people in Lyons who need it. In 2016, a small group of mothers of Lyons Elementary School students approached LEAF director Emily Dusel to ask what they could do to help LEAF's client base and others during the holiday season. “How about a giving tree?” Dusel responded, suggesting a community-wide collection of gifts for senior adults or families with children who might not be able to afford many presents on their own. Amy Ogilvie and Ann Haakenson, two of the women who had come to LEAF asking what they could do, thought that was a great idea. “I had seen something like that at work with a Toys for Tots drive for children under ten,” said Haakenson. “but not a community-wide project for people of all ages.” “There had been a food baskets effort done at Oskar Blues and by Higher
Ground Ministries,” said Ogilvie, “but not really a gift-giving program except for some toys that the Sheriff’s Department had distributed.” Lyons school moms are unsurpassed at organizing events and translating ideas into action, and they quickly put together the 2016 Giving Tree program from
vant information (such as particular wishes and clothes sizes) from them. Paper gift ornaments containing gift request information were prepared by the volunteers and hung on trees at the Barking Dog, Stone Cup and Lyons Regional Library. Using social media and old-fashioned word of mouth, the Lyons community was requested to help by picking up an ornament, shopping to fill the requests, and bringing wrapped packages
A “Lyons Elves Committee” prepares to sort through the 103 gifts brought to the LEAF Giving Tree project. Left to right: Abby Wynja, Zana Ganzel, Pam Browning, Emily Dusel, Amy Ogilvie, Anne Haakenson, Tricia Marsh, Lorraine Bonner and Andrea Buus. the ground up. LEAF runs the Lyons Food Pantry, Meals on Wheels and a basic needs and resource matching program for temporary assistance with things like car repairs, rent, or utility bills. LEAF passed out forms to its clients so they could sign up for the gift program, and gathered rele-
to Pizza Bar 66, where volunteers collected and sorted them. “The response was overwhelming,” Dusel said. “All of the gift requests were taken care of. We had a suggested $25 spending amount, but many people decided on their own to go above and beyond that.” The same initial organizers sorted the
gifts by areas and addresses and spent a long day delivering gifts in and around Lyons. In all, 83 gifts were brought to thankful recipients. “This is the only gift I will get this year,” one senior woman told Dusel. “It means the world to me to know people are thinking of me and taking the time and effort to make sure others are taken care of.” This year the project was expanded to include schools, and gift request ornaments were put up earlier. Those not taken by the time of the Lyons Holiday Bazaar were made available there. Once again, all requests were filled, and then some. The organizers, building on the system they’d put together the year before, consulted their lists, cross-checked and sorted the gifts, and grouped them by area for delivery. In about two hours, they had everything ready to go out. “We are up to 103 gifts this year,” said Dusel. “And we’ve got 11 volunteer drivers to share the load of getting them delivered. We have way more people participating than last year. We are thrilled with how this project has grown and how much community support we’ve gotten.” So do people in Lyons still work together to support their fellow citizens who need a little help? Just ask anyone on the contributing or receiving ends of the Giving Tree program. They will answer, “Yes!” Mark Browning is a Lyons resident and retired attorney. He serves on the Lyons Planning and Community Development Commission (PCDC) and he is active with the Lyons Volunteers organization.
A poem from Greenwood for the holidays As we head into the holidays, Greenwood Wildlife Rehabilitation Center would like to remind us of how we connect to nature and to each other through poetry. The Wave By Ingrid Thoenelt-Winter Watching ten ducklings, lined up side-by-side on a log sleeping I enjoy the image of peace and harmony As they all breathe in unison – or so I think until I take a closer look and realize they don’t For each duckling’s in breath comes a fraction of a second later than the of its neighbor such that
Their little chests expand one by one and contract in the same way A big wave is rolling through these tiny babies slowly and rhythmically And I find myself joining in, adjusting my own breath to harmonize with the wave That carries these little birds and you and me and all that lives into the vastness of nature. Greenwood’s mission is to rehabilitate sick, injured and orphaned wildlife for release into appropriate habitats. Greenwood also strives to educate the public, emphasizing human solutions to human/wildlife interactions. Black Velvet – This beautiful five-year-old girl is truly a delight to be around! Black Velvet is chatty and affectionate and loves to get belly rubs. She is looking for a home where she can be the only cat, please. Black Velvet does also prefer the company of older children. Come in for a visit with this lovely girl today! More than 200 animals are waiting for forever families at Longmont Humane Society. Visit them at www.longmonthumane.org, and then come meet them at the shelter today.
Acupuncture & Herbal Medicine Private Sessions or Community Clinic (lower cost) Available Carol Conigliaro Licensed Acupuncturist 303-819-2713 • At the Little Yellow House • 503 2nd Ave, Lyons