Niwot Tavern giving back on Christmas

Owners of Niwot Tavern are conducting their second annual coat drive to help the homeless as the holidays approach. The inside lobby, once filled with people, is currently filled with boxes of coats, hats, blankets and hygiene essentials, all to be donated to organizations with less support.

"We try to deliver to places that don't get as many donations," co-owner Stacy Szydlek said. "A lot of the well-known shelters get overloaded with donations while the smaller ones are left without, so we do what we can to help." Szydlek delivered the first round of donations to Longmont. "We dropped off a lot of hats and coats to Tay, who runs a soup kitchen and gives supplies to the homeless."

The 2020 report on the state of homelessness by MDHI stated that at least 31,207 people reached out for services related to homelessness between July 1, 2019 and June 30, 2020 in Denver, Adams, Arapahoe, Douglas, Jefferson, Broomfield and Boulder Counties. MDHI also reported the demographics, which showed that 21,765 single adults, 2,437 families and 2,370 children accessed services or housing related to homelessness.

"We don't see many homeless people in Niwot, but they are certainly out there and although we're all struggling through this pandemic, there's things we can do to help," Szydlek said. "We had a woman hand knit 75 winter hats without us asking whatsoever, and another woman who dropped off a basket of produce because she figured we needed it more than her."

The Niwot Tavern is not only delivering coats and hats to the less fortunate, but other products required to maintain health under extreme exposure as well.

"We had a man drop off two backpacks filled with men's hygiene equipment like razors, shaving cream and soap bars," Szydlek said. "We need more products like that and we could also use feminine hygiene products for a women's shelter on Iowa Avenue in Longmont."

Back in March, Niwot Tavern owners opened a food bank for students because schools shut down and many parents lost their jobs. With a rise in cases of COVID-19 across the state, and further shut downs becoming more evident, it's probable that the Tavern doors will open for this service once again.

"With winter coming and everything that's happening with the pandemic, we'll probably bring back the food bank," Szydlek said.

Back in 2005, Niwot Tavern owners Bob Russell, Gary Zarlengo and Tony Santelli started a Christmas tradition at the Tavern, offering free Christmas dinner to those in need. Even though people will not be able to enter the Niwot Tavern for free Christmas dinner, the current owners are determined to keep the fifteen-year tradition alive.

"We promised Bob that we would continue the tradition which I think gave him some peace before his passing," Szydlek said of Russell, who died earlier this year. "So, this year we're taking the dinner on the road, dropping off meals to anyone we pass who needs it, along with the shelters we'll be delivering coats to and the nursing home residents who usually come here."

Despite the financial challenges brought on by the coronavirus pandemic, the hearts of those who care have still found a way to help those in need.

"I was raised to help people. The world is crazy right now but I still think that every human is worthy of food and a nice bed," Szydlek said. "And from the donations we've received, you just know that this town feels the same. I'm so happy that we've been in Niwot throughout this."

The Niwot Tavern is open every day from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. for curbside pickup and any donations towards the coat drive. The Tavern is also selling baskets of liquor for holiday gifts. Szydlek stressed a need for sanitizer wipes and razors which they will hand out along with the Christmas dinners.