As the challenging work of the Marshall Fire recovery continues, we are so thrilled to support a unique partnership with local conservation nonprofit, Resource Central. The partnership, announced earlier this month, offers perennial, waterwise Garden In A Box kits to any fire-affected homes that were damaged or destroyed. Qualifying homes will be eligible to receive up to two 100 square foot gardens for free as well as access to volunteer planting help as needed. This partnership will assist our community in rebuilding “home”, which includes your yard! For anyone whose home was damaged or destroyed, you can begin the process of incorporating these waterwise gardens by filling out the interest Form.
What Is Garden In A Box?
- A waterwise garden alternative to turf grass. Learn more here.
- DIY garden kit comes with starter plants, plant-by-number maps, and plant care information.
- Our gardens are available to claim in either March for Spring pick up (May & June) June for Fall pick up (August & September.)
- This program will continue beyond 2023 and eligibility does not expire until used!
Eligibility
- Any homes deemed “damaged” or “destroyed” by Marshall Fire are eligible. This designation will be verified after your application is submitted via the official Damage Assessment Map.
- Eligible for up to two qualifying Garden In A Box kits free of cost.
- Gardens are offered on a first come, first served basis each season to those who apply and qualify.
Lyons: Small Town with a Big Heart
We are so fortunate to live in an entirely unique county full of some of the most interesting characters, innovative community builders, unparalleled natural beauty, and resilient neighbors found anywhere in the great state of Colorado. No town is as emblematic of these characteristics as Lyons. Situated at the doorstep of some of America's most wild lands while still in quick reach to the hustle and bustle of Denver, Lyons has always been recognized as a gem of the Front Range. So it is fitting that another gem of the Front Range, Lyons Community Foundation would be active in the greater Lyons community as well.
Since 2007, Lyons Community Foundation has been a trusted partner and affiliate of the Community Foundation Boulder County working in collaboration with donors and community partners to improve the quality of life for everyone in the greater Lyons area. More than $500,000 has been awarded to a variety of local non-profit organizations such as the Lyons Emergency Assistance Fund, the Town of Lyons, the Lyons Historical Society, the Lyons Elementary School, and the Lyons Middle/Senior High School. These community support grants help these organizations and others fulfill their missions. When you support Lyons Community Foundation, you are building a better community, which is at the very heart of our mission.
We have been spending quite a bit of quality time with the wonderful team at Lyons Community Foundation and wanted to share a little Q&A we had with them to celebrate the wonderful work happening at the Northern end of our county.
What is the Lyon’s Community Foundation?
- Lyons Community Foundation (LCF) is a fund of the Community Foundation of Boulder County that focuses on serving residents in the greater Lyons area. LCF has a local advisory board made up of area residents.
Who do you serve?
- Residents in the greater Lyons area
How do you serve the community?
- Our mission is to improve the quality of life, build a culture of giving, and create positive change in the greater Lyons area. What this means in action is we grant money to local nonprofits (helping fund everything from the food pantry to our new botanic gardens and public art), give out college scholarships to local graduating seniors, and help fund many of the events (like the Sandstone Concert Series and the Holiday Parade of Lights) that make Lyons such a great place to live.
How to do you think about the partnership with the CFBC?
- LCF and CFBC have worked closely together since 2007, and we are incredibly grateful for the partnership. As an affiliate of CFBC, LCF is the beneficiary of many administrative resources that help us strengthen our local efforts. To have the experts at CFBC to call on has enabled us to make a bigger impact in our community.
What should people throughout Boulder County
know about Lyons and the community?
- Lyons is a small town with a big heart. We've faced our share of adversity, but always seem to come together to rise above challenges. There is a true community feel here, and we care about our neighbors as well as the nature that surrounds us.
What’s coming up that the broader community can participate in?
- This Winter and Spring, there are several events people may want to attend. First, the Winter Wonderland Concert Series has a family-friendly outdoor concert scheduled: Saturday, March 25th with Ian Brighton performing. If the weather is cold enough to allow ice skating, concerts will be held in LaVern Johnson Park, and free skate rentals will be available. If not, concerts may be moved to a sunnier location. LCF is also partnering with Gemini Adventures to bring you the second annual Lucky Lyons 5k and 10k run on March 11th. With a start and finish in Bohn Park and a St. Patrick’s Day theme, this event is the perfect opportunity for folks to don their green running gear and get out on Lyons' trails. Participants will not only earn their green beer, they’ll be supporting a great cause, because net proceeds from the event will be donated to LCF.
A Public Affair: Proclaiming Colorado's Black History
On our monthly radio show with community partner KGNU, Community Foundation Boulder County trustee and host Jim Williams was joined by Adrian Miller, social historian, Soul Food Scholar and Co-Project Director and Lead Curator of the Proclaiming Colorado's Black History project.
The Museum of Boulder, in partnership with Adrian Miller, the Boulder County NAACP Chapter and the Boulder Public Library’s Maria Rogers Oral History Program, is developing an exhibit and educational curricula to address the underrepresentation of Black histories in Colorado. The exhibit, Proclaiming Colorado's Black History, opens September 29, 2023.
Over three years, the project will employ a community-centered process to collect original oral histories and research, consolidate research data and make it publicly available, and host a series of programs about race.
Hardest Working Person in Community Foundations
We want to take the time to congratulate our very own Tatiana Hernandez, the hardest working person in Community Foundations, who was recognized as one of the 50 Most Influential Business Leaders in our region by BizWest. It is a well-deserved honor for our fearless leader. She was joined by honorees selected from throughout the Boulder Valley and Northern Colorado after a public nomination and online voting process. Tatiana and the entire class of 2023 honorees were feted during BizWest’s Book of Lists Launch Party, earlier this month. In an interview with the Longmont Leader, Tatiana reflected on the significance of this honor to young Boulder County residents, “particularly young people of color, who maybe don’t see a lot of reflection of themselves in their leaders — I would encourage them to have the audacity of belonging — they can give it to themselves.”