LAKEWOOD, Colo. — At American Legion Post 178 in Lakewood, Friday night dinners are about more than food. Veterans, families and community members gather for meals, camaraderie and fundraising efforts that support veterans and military families.
Members of the post say those events and much of the support they provide would not be possible without fellow Post member, Ranya Kelly.
Watch as Denver7's Richard Butler surprises Kelly with this week's Denver7 Everyday Hero recognition.
“She’s kind of our hero, because she supplies so much for us so that we can make money for our charities,” said Steven Petersen, president of ALR Riders Post 178. “That’s why we’re here.”
For 32 years, Kelly has worked quietly behind the scenes helping veterans and families through her nonprofit, The Redistribution Center. The organization distributes food, furniture, household items and other necessities to people in need.
Kelly said the nonprofit began after she discovered hundreds of pairs of discarded shoes in a dumpster decades ago.
“Thirty-two years ago, when I started The Redistribution Center, when I found shoes in a dumpster that Payless was dumping, I took them,” Kelly said.
That moment led Kelly to begin redistributing donated items to civilians and veterans in Colorado and overseas.
Kelly told Denver7 The Redistribution Center has provided more than $100 million in in-kind donations since 1991. Last year alone, the organization distributed more than 155,000 meals.
Kelly’s connection to the military community is personal.
Her father served as an Air Force crew chief in the Korean War, and her son attended West Point before serving in Iraq, where he later suffered serious health complications, including stage four lymphoma, traumatic brain injury and PTSD.
“My goal was to make sure that other families have the things that they need,” Kelly said.
The nonprofit also operates Warriors Warehouse at Fort Carson, where volunteers assist military members, veterans and their families.
Legion members say Kelly’s support extends far beyond Post 178.
“It’s not just here at 178,” said Rodney Jones, vice president of ALR Riders Post 178. “She goes to other posts, local posts, area posts. We’re not the only ones that benefit from her.”
Nick Trujillo, a retired Army sergeant major and first vice commander at Post 178, said Kelly has supported the post since the early days of Desert Storm.
“Without her, I don’t think our membership would be as big,” Trujillo said.
Brian Conway, an Army veteran and longtime member of the post, described Kelly as selfless.
“There’s nothing she won’t do to help veterans,” Conway said.
For her decades of service supporting veterans and families across Colorado, Denver7 honored Kelly as an Everyday Hero. Kelly said the work has never been about recognition.
“We’re very proud of what we do. We do it quietly,” Kelly said. “It’s not about any individual volunteer, it’s about our community and our family here.”
Denver7 features a different Everyday Hero each week. To nominate a hero in your life, click here.
