Lyons Community Foundation Spotlight on Lyons ReRuns
Redstone Review
December 19, 2014
By Kristen Bruckner

During this holiday season, many of us are our focused on giving, sharing and doing for others.  One local Lyons retailer has a business model that centers entirely on these concepts.  Lyons ReRuns, located on Main Street in downtown Lyons sells gently used adult and children’s clothing and equipment, shoes, sporting goods, house wares and books.  Not only does this provide an outlet for area residents to purge themselves of unwanted items, but  the proceeds from sales go right back into the community through the Lyons Community Foundation. 

Ellen Hine and Gabry Cornell started Lyons ReRuns after they discovered their mutual interest in making Lyons more sustainable.  Ellen explains “I was telling someone how I thought it would be great if you didn’t have to drive to Longmont or Boulder every time you needed a pair or pants or a jacket“.  Gabry had also been exploring ways to reuse and recycle as well as an interest in giving back to the community.  When the two met, Lyons ReRuns was born.  They originally opened their shop just east of town, but through a “generous lease” offered by landlord John Burke, they moved into the heart of Lyons in 2008.  By being in a downtown, central location, the shop gets a lot foot traffic, tourists, and often serves as community hub and place to get information about town. 

“Lyons residents come from all different socioeconomic backgrounds, but everyone can shop as well as donate to ReRuns” says local mom Jessica Kutrumbos.  “Also, ReRuns is teaching our kids that recycling is cool, and that we can all share what we have”.   Indeed, during the aftermath of the flood, ReRuns provided an avenue for neighbors helping neighbors, accepting a variety of donations and offering necessities to those who lost so much at little to no cost.   

ReRuns has also expanded their offerings to meet the needs of residents.  With Lyons growing youth population, there is a great call to have a local source for gifts for kids birthday parties.  They now offer “Melissa and Doug” brand toys, puzzles and art supplies at prices below suggested retail.  There are also unique gift items like the “flood books” created by Lyons Elementary School children. 

Not only does this shop fill a need in town, but it also provides support for the Lyons Community Foundation.  When the LCF was established, ReRuns became a founding contributor and they continue to donate its proceeds directly to support its work.   Since 2008, ReRuns has given close to $30,000.  By donating used clothing and gear in addition to shopping at ReRuns, residents are providing funding for things right here in town such as the food pantry, public art and music, and academic enrichment in local schools.  Monique Sawyer-Lang, LCF chair emphasizes “we are so grateful to the support that ReRuns has provided to the LCF.  Not only do Ellen and Gabry offer a great service to Lyons residents, but their work goes back into helping the community at large”. 

Lyons ReRuns is open at 437 Main Street every day 11-4 except Mondays and accepts donations during business hours.  Donations of new and gently used clothing, books and small house wares are welcome. Due to space constraints, ReRuns cannot accept large furniture, appliances or electronics.  Items ReRuns cannot sell are forwarded to other local charities.

The Lyons Community Foundation exists to improve the quality of life, build a culture of giving, and encourage positive change in the greater Lyons area.  The LCF is gratefully accepting year-end tax deductible contributions that may be applied to Community Support Grants, Flood Relief/Rebuild Lyons, or Scholarships.   For more information or to make a donation please visit www.lyonscf.org or call  720.29LYONS. 

Kristen Bruckner is the communications specialist for the Lyons Community Foundation.  She lives in Lyons with her husband and three children.  

It's the one day to give back to those non-profits who give all year long. You can help the Lyons Community Foundation with our big goals to continue to help the community rebuild from the flood and improve the quality of life here in Lyons. 

It is your donations that make our work possible. Please visit www.lyonscf.org to make your donation today!

Advocates to help in flood aftermath 

Town board to determine location for replacement housing


By Whitney Bryen 

Longmont Times-Call 

As Lyons weaves through the maze of replacement housing for flood-displaced residents, a local nonprofit has hired temporary advocates to supplement the town’s efforts.  A flood rebuild advocate, a displaced residents advo­cate and two manufactured housing analysts were hired by the Lyons Emer­gency Assistance Fund — a nonprofit formed follow­ing the 2013 flood to pro­vide basic needs to area residents — to support about 100 displaced fami­lies.

The temporary employ­ees were brought on in November and will work in Lyons for three to 12 months depending on the need and if any additional funding is available to keep them longer, said LEAF co­founder Emily Flemming.

The positions were fund­ed by $30,000 in grants from the Community Foun­dation Serving Boulder County and the Lyons Community Foundation. 

The employees will be overseen by LEAF and by two advisory committees made up of displaced and rebuilding residents, members of Lyons’ Housing Recovery Task Force and members of the town’s Board of Trustees.   The new employees are intended to support the rebuilding efforts of the town and other groups, not to duplicate efforts, said Flemming, who is also the pastor of Lyons Community Church. 

“The goal is to fill the gaps that the community has voiced,” Flemming said. “We didn’t start this because the town asked us to. We started it because individuals asked us to, so it was a direct response to community feedback.” 

Flood rebuilding advocate Jonathan Diller is helping residents in one of the hardest hit neighborhoods nicknamed “the Confluence” for the nearby converging rivers. So far, the work has included helping residents get building permits and approvals and coordinating with insurance companies, Boulder County and the town of Lyons.   “My goal is to get as many homeowners as possible to have their building permits approved by the time that my contract runs out in March,” Diller said. 

Tensions remain high in the Confluence more than a year after the flood, Diller said. He described some of the residents as desperate and stressed, but he hopes his position provides some comfort to the neighborhood. 

Manufactured housing analysts Andy Rumbach and Brandon Gossard and displaced residents advocate Janaki Jane have been on the job for less than two weeks, Flemming said.   Rumbach and Gossard will be looking at possible scenarios for a replacement mobile home park in Lyons.   Jane will provide support to former residents of Lyons’ two mobile home parks and relay information back to the town as plans for replacement housing move forward. 

The town’s Board of Trustees is awaiting an analysis on three potential sites for replacement housing including a portion of Bohn Park, the Lyons Dog Park and a private property east of Lyons Valley Park. The third-party company will present its findings to the board during a meeting Dec. 15, and the board is hoping to decide where to build at their first meeting in January, trustee Connie Sullivan wrote in an email Monday. 

The trustees will apply for Community Development Block Grants for Disaster Recovery to help with the cost of the planned 60 units. The application deadline for the grants has been moved from mid December to early next year, likely in February or March, giving the board more time to finalize the plan for replacement housing, according to an email from Trustee Dan Greenberg.