January Extreme Endeavors: Looking Forward to 2014

Extreme Community Makeover Newsletter  January Extreme Endeavors January 2014

In This Issue Spanish Classes Think Tanks Denver Digs Trees December Volunteers Quick Links About ECM  Contact ECM           Donate  Help ECM build stronger communities in Denver through your financial support.     Checks can be made to:   Extreme Community Makeover    and sent to:    Extreme Community Makeover PO Box 102586 Denver, CO 80250-2586 This past year was another incredible one for Extreme Community Makeover, with a record setting number of volunteers participating, which led to numerous relationships built between residents, volunteers, and neighbors, while accomplishing projects that made a tangible difference at each home where ECM worked.   When thinking about what 2014 holds, I expect it will be another great year because of the incredible people who are part of this movement of demonstrating what it looks like to be a good neighbor to others.  Looking forward to working with you as together we see what happens through Extreme Community Makeover this year!   Angela Bomgaars, Executive Director  ECM Work Days The full ECM Work Day schedule will be available next month, but until then, we have a volunteer opportunity available for individuals or groups over the winter - helping with our evaluation efforts.  We gather feedback from each resident partnered with on a project and would like to get to a 50% response rate.  Thus, this project entails talking with individuals ECM volunteers worked with on a project last year and filling out this evaluation with them via a conversation.  If you are interested in learning more details about how to get involved, contact Angela.

Spanish Classes If you are interested in improving your Spanish speaking skills, ECM is hosting a Spanish class starting this month. We will meet on Thursday evenings from 6:00-7:00 pm for four straight weeks, starting on January 23rd.  The class will be held at the ECM office (4200 Morrison Road, Unit 3, Denver, 80219) and will cost $20.  Contact Angela for more details about how to sign-up. Think Tanks One of the long-term goals of ECM is to connect neighbors and build stronger communities.  Thus, we are putting together a "community development think tank", comprised of those who are excited about the opportunities that ECM could be involved with as we look at how to foster building stronger communities after ECM Work Days are completed.  The main strategy we will be starting with is time banks, since we have just received a planning grant from The Denver Foundation to launch a time bank in the Globeville, Elyria, and Swansea neighborhoods.  Click here to read more about time banking.    One of the other ideas being explored is developing a professional construction/landscaping aspect to ECM that would hire people from the neighborhoods where ECM works to complete more advanced projects such as construction, roofing, tree trimming/removal, and other types of projects that require more advanced skills.  This aspect to ECM would be available for hire metro-Denver wide at a competitive market rate, while being available for ongoing maintenance and projects requiring more professional expertise.  Thus, we are putting together a "construction/landscaping think tank" to explore this idea with those who are business savvy, knowledgeable about these types of advanced projects, or interested in the concept.   Please contact Angela if you would like to participate in either of these think tanks.   Denver Digs Trees Denver Digs Trees focuses on providing medium and large sized shade trees for planting within the City of Denver, which you can plant along the street, in your yard, or both places!  What is a Street Tree?  A Street Tree is planted along the street in the Public Right-of-Way.  It is planted either in the tree lawn (the space between the sidewalk and the curb) or, in the absence of a tree lawn, at a distance 10 feet from the curb. What is a Yard Tree?  A Yard Tree is planted on private property.  It may be planted in a front-, back-, or side- yard.  At sites without a tree lawn, Yard Trees are planted 11 feet or more from the curb. On average, one tree costs The Park People $125 to provide but thanks to sponsors, trees are available for $10 each in target neighborhoods throughout Denver (including all ECM neighborhoods) and $35 each in other areas.  Apply by Sat Feb 15 by clicking here.    December Volunteers Thank you to our regular monthly crew of students from Front Range Christian School for volunteering with ECM in December and cleaning up Morrison Road, where ECM's office is located.

Thank you for partnering with ECM to make a difference in Denver neighborhoods!       Sincerely,   Extreme Community Makeover