Denver's Westwood Neighborhood

ECM is proudly serving Denver's Westwood neighborhood. 

Westwood is a dense, predominately single family residential, neighborhood in southwest Denver. The population is 15,486 and 81% percent of residents are Latino, 11% are white, 4.3% are Asian/Pacific Islander, 1% is Native American, and 2% is African American. Mexican immigrants are a large proportion of the population. More than 25% of residents do not speak English, and over 60% of births are to foreign mothers. In 2000, 24% of residents had not lived at their address the previous year. 

The average annual wage in Westwood in 2000 is less than 1/3 of Denver’s average, at $11,336, as compared to Denver’s average annual wage of $37,406. Over 87% of children attending Westwood public schools qualified for free and reduced lunch in 2007. The neighborhood has many assets, including rich and unique cultural diversity. Nearly one-third (32.9%) of Westwood’s population is under age 18. 

A committed team of diverse residents and organizations are working tirelessly to promote healthy eating and active living and economic opportunity in Westwood. The coalition has diverse participants from multiple sectors, strong resident participation, and a resident vision for a walkable, bikeable, active community. 

Smart Home on a Budget

We all love the idea of having a smart home, but not all of us can afford such smarts. With growing technology, the ability to have a smart home does not mean you need a deep pocket. Here are some inexpensive ideas to get your home started in the smart direction.

Roost 

The Roost is a a Wi-Fi enabled 9V battery, with an accompanying app, that turns your existing smoke detector or carbon monoxide detector into a alarm system. The smart battery will send you a notification in the event of the alarm being triggered and lets you know when the battery is running low.

Smart Home Kit 

The Smart Home Kit  can add the internet to anything in your home by turning any object into an internet-connected device. You can do things such as automate your curtains or make a remote controlled pet feeder. The kit contains little modules that help the objects in your home communicate with each other. Learn how it works.

Nest 

Nest designs and manufactures sensor-driven, Wi-Fi-enabled, self-learning, programmable thermostats and smoke detectors. In addition, Works with Nest allows other devices to work smarter like your lights, appliances, fitness bands and even cars.

Wink 

Wink lets you take control of your lighting with GE Link. Using the Wink app, you can operate the bulbs from anywhere, sync them with other smart products, program dims or highlights and automate them to fit your schedule.

Leeo Smart Alert Nightlight 

The Smart Alert Nightlight keeps track of your smoke alarms, your carbon monoxide alarms, and the climate in your home, such as the temperature and humidity in the home. The system acts as a virtual ear and listens for a smoke or carbon monoxide alarm and then sends notifications straight to your phone.

Simplicam

Simplicam is a Wi-Fi monitoring camera with face recognition technology. You don’t need a computer, just your smartphone. However, the system does provide streaming HD video to your computer or smartphone. With the facial recognition, you can set up texts to alert you when someone arrives home or if a stranger is on the premises.

Skylink Alarm System

Skylink has an easy-to-follow installation kit helps you have your home or office wired for protection. It takes less than an hour to set up, and there’s no wiring required. Your smartphone acts like your personal security monitor, notifying you whenever an alarm is triggered.

Kevo

The days of fumbling around for your keys are over. Kevo is an eKey that allows you to open and lock your door with the use of your smartphone. You can also view history of lock activity, and set up other configurable features and options with the Kevo App. Kevo is also compatible with Nest.

WeMo Insight Switch 

Belkin has a Wi-Fi enabled switch that connects your home appliances and electronic devices to your network, allowing you to turn devices on or off, program customized notifications and change device status. The WeMo Insight Switch can also monitor your electronics and will send information about the device’s energy usage directly to your smartphone or tablet. The switch is perfect to pair with space heaters, wall A/C units, TVs, washers, dryers and fans.

Internet of Things

Our world is getting smarter by the minute. There are new devices invented every day to make our lives easier. The Internet of Things will grow to make our lives easier with increased machine-to-machine communication, built on cloud computing and networks of data-gathering sensors. There are no limits to this mobile, virtual, instantaneous, and smart connection that is rapidly changing how we live our lives.

Photo by Robert Basic from Germany (Samsung Smart Home) [CC BY-SA 2.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0)], via Wikimedia Commons

5.16.15 ECM Work Day - West Colfax Neighborhood

Confluence Ministries & Individuals

God's Grace Community Church

West Colfax Association of Neighbors

Summary of 5.16.15 ECM Work Day:

• Volunteers Participated - 55
• Projects Completed - 5
• Alleys Cleaned - 5
• Volunteer Hours - 220

My First Work Day Experience

Extreme Community Makeover couldn’t have asked for a more perfect day as we embarked upon our third Work Day of the year.  The day included volunteers from Beta Alpha Psi at the University of Colorado Denver and Chaparral High School Boy’s Lacrosse team.  This being my first Work Day in my first year of volunteering for ECM, I was impressed with the energy amongst our volunteers, especially the young gentlemen from Chaparral High School.  Even though many of them had prom on their minds, scheduled for later that evening, they dove into their work with gusto, focus, and great attitudes.  Truly, it was a pleasure to observe these young people working to help better our communities. 

I was also fortunate to share my first Work Day experience with fellow Extreme Team and second year returning volunteer - Courtney.  Her assigned position is the Fundraising Team, but she answered the call to be photographer for the day, as our regular photographer was laid up with an injury.  We decided to join forces and drove from site to site together to gather stories and photos of our volunteers and residents.  Teaming up with Courtney gave me the additional experience and appreciation of witnessing the compassionate, hardworking and kind people working for ECM.  Not only did I find kindness and people with a serving attitude within ECM volunteers, but this personality trait was also evident in the residents in Villa Park and the surrounding neighborhoods. 

High school sweethearts, Ted and Linda, met and grew up in the same neighborhood they are now living in. Residents for 30 years, they have both seen many people come and go throughout the years and have watched the neighborhood go through many transitions. Ted shared stories of how he and his neighbors look after each other.  His wife Linda commented that when Ted gets bored he will go see what the neighbors are up to. Ted and Linda especially love it when their Guatemalan neighbors share homemade tamales with them at Christmas time.  Although retired, Ted and Linda haven’t slowed down – at the age of 50 Ted taught himself how to play base guitar and Linda the keyboards. They formed a band with their son and a neighbor; and enjoy getting together once a week to play rock and roll tunes by Santana, The Beatles, and other bands from the 50’s, 60’s and 70’s.  They play purely for pleasure, however, Ted said they did get to play at a bar once.  He said the experience was wonderful, but the one time was enough.

Several of the other residents have similar stories of growing up in the neighborhood and returning to raise their own families.  One resident - Sally, has lived in the same house for 62 years, and Charles and Loretta 40 plus years.  Dorie has been in her home since 1962 and shared that her neighbors check in on her and bring over food when she is not feeling well. They all concur that they keep in touch with their neighbors and they all look out for each other.

Carrying on the tradition of community and neighborhood involvement; the youngest resident that day was Rose. She and her husband recently bought their home from a long time resident.  Rose is glad to belong to the neighborhood, and excited to update their home and make it their own.  She feels it is important to get out and meet neighbors and to stay informed as to what is going on in her community.  Rose told me that she frequently visited website like www.nextdoor.com and www.everyblock.com to keep up on the news and to research suggestions on how to keep one’s neighborhood more peaceful and harmonious.  Rose looks forward to staying in touch with ECM to continue our work and to stay involved with the community.

I look forward to my next Work Day with ECM.  I know this experience has changed me and I am happy to be involved with such caring, and compassionate people. ECM offers many thanks to our volunteers for their time and to the residents for sharing their stories.  I am especially grateful for the opportunity to be a part of ECM, an organization that is doing their part to restore communities and help build relationships.

- Lisa, ECM Communications Team

Planning Your Home Remodel

(Photo By Remodel Works (Own work) [CC BY-SA 3.0  http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0)], via Wikimedia Commons)

The freshness of the spring season and summer coming upon us, starting June 21, is a good motivator for starting new projects. So, you might be getting the urge to start a home remodeling project. Remodeling can be exciting, but it can also cause some undue stress if you don’t have a plan.

What is the best time of year?

The warmer weather provides a pleasant invitation to any home remodeling project. However, spring and summer are not necessarily the best time to start your home remodel. There are other factors such as the projects urgency, your budget, access to professional contractors and the and ability to purchase materials at a low price. So, in order to plan the perfect time, consider these factors despite what time of year it is.

Budget Planning

The first thing to consider in remodeling is your budget. Do you have enough money to start and complete the project? Oftentimes, with any home remodel, there are things that come up that are unexpected. You may run into a problem area in the home that needs some extra attention and causes some unexpected cash outflows. So, make sure you have a contingency fund set aside if you have to go over your planned budget.

Cost of Materials

Consider the materials you’ll need for your remodel. Depending on the season, the materials can cost less. So, purchase your materials ahead of time when they are the most inexpensive. For example, kitchen appliances are often cheaper at the beginning of the holiday season around October. Also, make sure to check out the mom and pop shops for things like tools, paint, etc. Independent shops often have more control over discounts and you may be able to make a deal with the store owner. Another great tip is to bundle your shopping and purchase your items all at once. Oftentimes, large purchases guarantee a lower price and may come with free delivery. Also, when in doubt, hit the back room. Scratch-and-dent appliances are cheaper and there is a a good chance the blemish won’t be visible.

Consider the Resale Value

Match your remodel to the market in your neighborhood. Upping the resale value of your home is a great incentive to remodel. However, not every remodel will ensure a bang for your buck. For example, consider matching your materials to your neighborhood. Using low-end materials in a high-end neighborhood will diminish your home’s value. Likewise, adding an addition may fit your families lifestyle, but not necessarily add to your home when it comes time to sell it. Turning a third bedroom into a walk-in closet, for example, will diminish the home’s value. Always consider the market with every remodel.

Hire a Professional

The ability to complete the work and do a good job on a project should be top priorities for any home remodeling project. You can spend a lot of money trying to fix remodeling projects gone haywire. If you are going to do it, make sure you do it right the first time. Oftentimes, this means you’ll need to hire a professional. Make sure to check out their credentials, experience and work by doing your research. In the end, you’ll be very thankful that you did. A good resource is the Denver Development Services.

May Extreme Endeavors: Why Do You Volunteer?

Extreme Community Makeover Newsletter  May Extreme Endeavors May 2015

In This Issue Better Denver: Tue May 12 Volunteer Happy Hour: Tue May 26 Go: Westwood Synopsis April 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 Why do you volunteer?  I recently came across an article on "The Benefits of Volunteering" that stated, "One of the better-known benefits of volunteering is the impact on the community. Unpaid volunteers are often the glue that holds a community together. Volunteering allows you to connect to your community and make it a better place."      I would imagine this is one of the reasons you have chosen to volunteer with Extreme Community Makeover.  If you want to join an upcoming Work Day, the dates are listed below.  If you haven't had a chance to volunteer with ECM recently but want to learn more, check out the events mentioned below as well.  To hear stories from some of our current volunteers, click here. Together, we make our Denver community a great place to live!   Angela Bomgaars, Executive Director  ECM Work Days ECM Work Days are in full swing!  If you want to get a group involved for a future Work Day, click here for the calendar of dates and then click here to register.  To register as an individual, click here.    Saturday, May 16 - 9:00 am (West Colfax) 1400 Quitman Street, Denver, 80204 -  Confluence Ministries     Saturday, May 30 - 9:00 am (Barnum) 360 Hooker Street, Denver, 80219  -  Barnum Recreation Center

Better Denver: Tue May 12   Volunteer Happy Hour: Tue May 26      Go: Westwood Synopsis Thank you to the 420 volunteers who made for a super successful Go: Westwood project!  Over half the volunteers were Westwood residents and the projects completed included:   Alameda Avenue Clean-Up Alley Improvement Project Bus Stops Clean-Up Garden Planting Graffiti Removal Morrison Road Clean-Up     Thanks to Councilman Paul Lopez's Office, Crossroads of the Rockies, Westwood Residents Association, and Westwood Unidos for helping plan the event.  Thanks to the thirteen groups and individuals who volunteered.  And thanks to the Colorado Rockies for donating tickets to the baseball game that night for all the volunteers.  We had a great day!  To read a summary of Go: Westwood, click here.    April Volunteers Thank you to all the volunteers who got the month of April off to a great start for Extreme Community Makeover!   AmeriCorps NCCC APO Colorado School of Mines BuCu West Cherry Hills Christian 5th Grade Cornerstone Baptist Church CU Denver Counseling Students Denver Community Church 30s Group Front Range Christian School Golden High School Interact Club  Grand Hyatt Denver Thrive Heritage High School Student Government Hyatt Regency Denver Thrive Individuals Love in Action Cherry Hills Community Church Paradas de Bus Westwood  Team Rubicon Westwood Residents Association Westwood Unidos Safety Committee

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

5.2.15 ECM Work Day - Villa Park Neighborhood

Beta Alpha Psi: University of Colorado Denver & Individuals

Chaparral Boys Lacrosse

Summary of 5.2.15 ECM Work Day:

• Volunteers Participated - 70
• Projects Completed - 8
• Alleys Cleaned - 2
• Volunteer Hours - 320





A Veteran's Perspective of Service

As I arrived at the meet up location with my trusty sidekick BQ, a service dog with a knack for encouraging pets and cuddles out of even the crankiest of folks, I was impressed by the enormous turn out of people that showed up to help out the community of Westwood. 

I was handed a map of the area we would be covering for the day.  The task that was to be covered for the day seemed impossible.  Blocks upon blocks of alley clean up, graffiti removal, garden planting and road clean ups lay ahead.  It seemed like an incredible feat, despite the hundreds of volunteers that showed up to participate.  But after announcements and grabbing my lunch, I hit the road with the pup to interact and interview and help the ambitous volunteers that chose to dedicate their beautiful Saturdays to helping the community of the Westwood neighborhood.  I chose to talk to a couple volunteers with Team Rubicon, who were determined to complete an extensive amount of alleys before the day ended. 

Team Rubicon is a Veteran operated volunteer organization dedicate to providing disaster relief as well as helping provide veterans with the transition from military service to the civilan life by providing purpose, community, and leadership development.   As I am also a veteran dealing with transition, this volunteer group really caught my attention for the day. 

I had to really beg Jordon Daniel, a Team Rubicon Team Leader to pull himself away from the project for a few minutes to talk to me as he was motivated and determined to get as many alleys cleaned as he could by the end of the day.  My immediate impression was his tenacity for the project at hand.  But luckily for me, I was able to talk to him for a few minutes about his Team Rubicon and their participation in Extreme Community Makeover.  As I was brought aware that their usual volunteer participation is on a much larger scale in tragic disaster relief projects such as earthquakes and floods, I wondered how they percieved ECM, and how they got involved.  Jordon discussed it has less to do with how big the project is and more importantly the impact that their team can make and how it can provide the “need to serve” that many veterans crave after exiting the military service.  I was deeply moved by Jordon Daniel’s extreme dedication to ECM and his team’s massive efforts to help the Westwood Community.  It was amazing to see a group of people who truly are dedicated to helping out communities in need despite how big or small the project may seem. 

- Deanna, ECM Communications Team

Spring Cleaning: The Great Denver Cleanup - May 9, 2015

FREE DROP OFF LOCATIONS!

It only happens ONE DAY a year. Plan your household, neighborhood and block cleanups......take advantage of FREE Drop Sites. Collection trucks will be set up around the city of Denver for residents and neighborhood groups to bring discarded household items, yard waste,  re-usable and recycled items.

  

Click here for suggestions to help make this your best cleanup ever!   

• Separated yard waste will be composted
• Clean out your house - furniture, appliances (no freon), mattresses & toys  
• Make room in the garage - bicycles, scrap metal and carpet will be accepted 
• NO Televisions, tree stumps, household hazardous waste, auto parts including tires or building material  

It's the ultimate Spring Cleaning opportunity! Keep Denver Beautiful sponsors the 2015 Great Denver Cleanup, Saturday, May 9th,  9am to 2pm for ALL Denver residents (bring proof of Denver residency).

Click here for helpful frequently asked questions.

Find Drop Off Locations near you! Español

For more information call 3-1-1

Sponsored by Keep Denver Beautiful and Solid Waste Management.

4.25.15 Go: Westwood - Westwood Neighborhood

APO Colorado School of Mines, BuCu West, Cornerstone Baptist Church, CU Denver Counseling Students, Denver Community Church 30s Group, Golden High School Interact Club, Grand Hyatt Denver Thrive, Hyatt Regency Denver Thrive, Love in Action Cherry Hills Community Church, Paradas de Bus Westwood, Team Rubicon, Westwood Residents Association, Westwood Unidos Safety Committee, & Individuals
 

Summary of 4.25.15 Go: Westwood:

• Volunteers Participated - 420
• Projects Completed - Alameda Avenue Clean-Up, Alley Improvement Project, Bus Stops Clean-Up, Munroe Garden Planted, Graffiti Removal, Morrison Road Clean-Up
• Alleys Cleaned - 48
• Volunteer Hours - 2,905

Denver Recycles’ Annual Mulch Giveaway & Compost Sale to be held on May 2nd

ONE DAY – TWO TIMES THE VALUE! 

Kick-off the spring landscaping season by getting your compost for less and mulch for free! Denver Recycles is hosting its annual Free Mulch Giveaway & Compost Sale on Saturday, May 2nd, from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. At the main Havana Nursery location, Denver residents can load up on free mulch and purchase compost at a significantly discounted price, while supplies last.

To meet the increasing popularity for compost, 50% more bags of compost will be available for sale at this year’s event compared to last year. Pre-bagged compost will be sold at the reduced price of $3.75 per 1.25 cubic ft. bag (9 gal), or loose at the price of $31.50 per cubic yard (prices includes tax). Compost is only available at the Havana Nursery site (10450 Smith Rd., just south of I-70 on Havana St.), while supplies last on Saturday, May 2nd. Loader service into trucks and trailers will be available for large loads of compost purchased. Limit of 20 bags of compost or 3 cubic yards of compost per vehicle. 

Dig-Your-Own free mulch will be available at five locations around Denver, plus mulch loader service into trucks and trailers at the Havana Nursery location: 

• Northeast: Havana Nursery (10450 Smith Rd., just south of I-70 on Havana St.)
• Northeast: Fred Thomas Park (Quebec St. & 26th Ave.)
• Southeast: Veterans Park (Iowa St. & Vine St.)
• Southwest: Bear Creek Park (South of Dartmouth Ave. on Raleigh St.)
• Northwest: Sloan’s Lake Park (Sheridan Blvd. & 17th Ave.)

Event Reminders:
Please bring your own pitchfork or shovel, and bags or containers for loading mulch.
Bring a tarp to cover your truck or trailer.
Denver residents only.
Commercial vehicles are prohibited from taking or selling the mulch or compost from this event.
This annual event is the only opportunity to purchase compost from the Denver Composts program.

Compost, a nutrient-rich soil amendment made from decomposed organic material, can be mixed into soil to help reduce water and fertilizer needs, and spread thinly over lawns to help grass roots retain moisture. The compost sold at this event was made from leaves collected through Denver Recycle’s annual LeafDrop program and from the organic materials collected through the Denver Composts program.

The mulch for this event was created by grinding and combining the Christmas trees Denver residents set out for Denver Recycles’ annual Treecycle collection program and storm debris branches. Mulch is made from ground wood chips and can be used to control weeds. It also helps soil retain moisture and protects shallow-rooted plants.

The Mulch Giveaway & Compost Sale is sponsored by the City and County of Denver’s Department of Public Works’ Denver Recycles program and Denver Parks & Recreation, in partnership with A1 Organics. Call 311 (720-913-1311) or visit DenverGov.org/DenverRecycles for more information on Denver Recycles’ programs.