2019 Grant Recipients

Lyons Community Foundation Announces 2019 Grant Recipients

The Lyons Community Foundation is thrilled to announce the 2019 Community Support Grant Awards. As a community foundation, LCF’s job is to raise money that supports a diverse range of projects and populations. The grant review committee, an anonymous group of area citizens, meets to analyze grant applications and award those whose intent aligns with LCF’s mission to improve the quality of life, build a culture of giving and encourage positive change in the greater Lyons area.

This year, the committee approved more than $27,000 in grants to 14 separate projects.
Here's a list of the recipients:

LEAF continues to be the largest single recipient of LCF funding. While important projects such as the Food Pantry and Meals on Wheels received renewed grants, there are 2 new projects that were awarded. There is a new Mental Wellness and Addiction Recovery program initiated by LEAF that will support the community’s overall well- being. There is also a Basic Needs and Resource Matching program that provides emergency grants or broader case management and/or resource referrals to clients in times of crisis. Help with things like housing or heat may provide the difference for a neighbor to stay in their home, further supporting those most vulnerable in our community.

Town of Lyons - Parks and Recreation
Two grants have been made to continue our community traditions:
Sandstone Summer Concerts
Holiday Parade of Lights

Town of Lyons
Lyons Arts and Humanities Commission received an award to continue their work in securing the public art sculptures around town, supporting Lyons’ identity as an art-loving and artist-enriched town.

Town of Lyons
Safe Organic Sustainable Weeds Action Plan (SOSWAP) received a grant to perform further testing of the soils in areas of our public parks that have shown elevated levels of pesticides, protecting public health and safety for our residents.

R ocky Mountain Botanic Gardens, in the 504 buyout property in the confluence area of town, is blossoming as a post-flood highlight of community collaboration. Their mission is to create an educational native plant botanic garden for residents and visitors to Lyons. The grant will support a small free library on the site of the garden. Visitors may both borrow and donate books or guides on native plants and gardening, for sharing and learning from each other and the books.

Lyons Historical Society

Lyons Redstone Museum - funding from this grant will go towards a 2020 exhibit celebrating Lyons’ rich history in the quarry industry.

Lyons Elementary School Garden Club

This grant supports garden-based curriculum and programs. The seed collection program provides plant-cycle learning with a bounty of food produced for the Lyons Food Pantry.

Lyons High School Booster Club
The grant will go towards supporting a safe, sober, supervised activity for high school students.

Habitat for Humanity of the St. Vrain Valley The grant will help close the gap in funding for completion of the last 2 units in Park Street development, allowing the last two families to be home for Christmas. Since the 2013 Floods, Habitat has brought volunteers and financial support to help repair 12 homes in Lyons, and rebuild another destroyed home. The will allow 6 additional families to return to the Lyons community.

Lyons Regional Library will receive a grant to support their once-month “community dinner and arts” nights. The program is designed as an extension of a mental health initiative by offering a safe, social, sober environment for residents of all ages. This group has offered successful programming on issues of suicide awareness and other topics, and intends to provide access to more socialization and human connections, proven to increase mental well- being for individuals and within the community.