8.8.15 ECM Work Day - Barnum Neighborhood

Bethany United Methodist Church

Dakota Ridge High School Drama Department

Individuals

Summary of 8.8.15 ECM Work Day:

• Volunteers Participated - 20
• Projects Completed - 2
• Volunteer Hours - 80

7.25.15 ECM Work Day - Globeville Neighborhood

Restoration Community Church

Individuals

Summary of 7.25.15 ECM Work Day:

• Volunteers Participated - 75
• Projects Completed - 10
• Volunteer Hours - 375

7.11.15 ECM Work Day - Westwood Neighborhood

Westwood Unidos & Individuals

Summary of 7.11.15 ECM Work Day:

• Volunteers Participated - 25
• Alleys Improved - 1
• Volunteer Hours - 125

6.27.15 & 6.28.15 ECM Work Days - Elyria Swansea Neighborhood

Denver Community Church

Fehr & Peers

Pinnacle National Honor Society

Summary of 6.27.15 ECM Work Day:

• Volunteers Participated - 60
• Projects Completed - 9
• Alleys Cleaned - 6
• Volunteer Hours - 345

Hillside Church

Summary of 6.28.15 ECM Work Day:

• Volunteers Participated - 35
• Projects Completed - 8
• Volunteer Hours - 140

6.13.15 ECM Work Day - Swansea Neighborhood

Individuals

Jubilee Fellowship Church

Summary of 6.13.15 ECM Work Day:

• Volunteers Participated - 65
• Projects Completed - 9
• Alleys Cleaned - 2
• Volunteer Hours - 370

5.30.15 & 5.31.15 ECM Work Days - Barnum Neighborhood

Individuals 

Jubilee Fellowship Church

Trinity United Methodist Church

Summary of 5.30.15 ECM Work Day:

• Volunteers Participated - 30
• Projects Completed - 3
• Volunteer Hours - 120

Bethany Lutheran Church

Summary of 5.31.15 ECM Work Day:

• Volunteers Participated - 45
• Projects Completed - 10
• Alleys Cleaned - 3
• Volunteer Hours - 225

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

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





Neighborhood Spotlight: Villa Park

The Villa Park neighborhood is located in West Denver about two to three miles west of downtown Denver. The neighborhood is bounded on the north by Lakewood Gulch, on the east by Federal Boulevard, on the south by the 6th Avenue Freeway, and on the west by Sheridan Boulevard.

According to Wikipedia, the neighborhood contains three small creeks: Lakewood Gulch, which provides the northern border for the neighborhood, Dry Gulch, and Weir Gulch. The confluence of Lakewood and Dry Gulches is located in the neighborhood near the intersection of 10th Avenue and Osceola Street. Martinez, Paco Sanchez, Lakewood/Dry Gulch, and Barnum North parks straddle the creeks as they meander through the neighborhood.^[1] Much of the areas around the creeks have a typical riparian environment and are more natural than many other areas of the city as a result. Several bike and pedestrian paths also follow the creeks and connect the neighborhood with the rest of the city. Because of the creeks and a general elevation gain towards the west, Villa Park is a very hilly neighborhood. 

When Extreme Community Makeover began in 2008, Villa Park was one of the first neighborhoods where we began working, going block by block to assist residents with exterior home and neighborhood improvement projects. Over the years, hundreds of projects have been completed in this community. And a lot of changes have been witnessed. One of the most notable being the inclusion of the new W Line of the RTD Light Rail line, travelling directly through Villa Park.

For more information, check out our website - http://www.extremecommunitymakeover.org/About/VillaPark.aspx. 

Neighborhood Spotlight: Swansea

If you live in Denver, you are probably familiar with the sight, or the smell, of the Purina plant located on the south side of I-70 as you're on your way to the airport or going out and about.  Surrounding this plant is the neighborhood called Swansea.  Another non-profit in this neighborhood, The GrowHaus, provides a great summary of the history of this neighborhood.

The Swansea neighborhood is a historic working-class community, first developed in the 1880s. For its first half-century, the area was home to residents of Eastern European origin. Swansea’s location near downtown, the Platte River, and the railroad made it an attractive site for warehouses and factories, and as a result the residences in the neighborhood eventually became surrounded by manufacturing and transportation infrastructure.

In the 1960s, the area began to shift to being predominantly Latino, which it remains today. At around the same time, the construction of I-70 placed a imposing barrier directly through the community, adding to the mounting pollution from sites such as the nearby Asarco smelter and water treatment plant. By the 1990s, the neighborhood had earned the dubious distinction of being the most polluted zip code in the state of Colorado, and was used as a textbook example of environmental injustice.

Swansea today is a neighborhood of contrasts, with both significant opportunities and challenges. The lack of services and geographic isolation has created a tight-knit community, with many neighbors attending the same church and looking after each other’s children. At the same time, air and soil pollution remain pervasive problems despite decades of activism and cleanup efforts, and neglect from the city has lead to a dearth of public amenities, unpaved alleyways and sidewalks badly in need of repair.

Extreme Community Makeover started working in Swansea in 2012.  And while we have adopted a number of blocks, we have many more yet to adopt and we would like to invite you to join us to make an impact in the lives of our neighbors living in Swansea.

For more information, check out our website - http://www.extremecommunitymakeover.org/About/Swansea.aspx.

Neighborhood Spotlight: Barnum

The Barnum neighborhood in Denver (6th Avenue - Federal Boulevard - Alameda Avenue - Sheridan Boulevard) is home to a unique part of Denver's history.  Read on to see how accurately this neighborhood reflects its namesake though.  On March 21, 1878, the American circus mogul Phineas T. Barnum bought 760 acres for just $11,000, and a few years later, the Barnum subdivision was platted.

Many myths and legends exist about Barnum’s interest in Denver. He did not buy the property to house his animals during the winter. Barnum’s involvement with his namesake’s development has become part of Denver folklore, especially in the durable legend of the showman’s plan to establish a winter home for his circus in the city. In fact, Barnum never wintered his animals anywhere other than Connecticut or Florida, and the entertainment entrepreneur made just four documented trips to Colorado.

Barnum’s history is one of a quiet development over more than a century, although not for lack of a strong sense of community. As the journalist and historian Robert Autobee observes, Barnum’s struggle in the shadow of Denver’s often different priorities, and its corresponding sense of community occasioned by the city’s neglect of older neighborhoods, has shaped the neighborhood’s identity.  In spite of challenges, Barnum has developed as a haven for working-class families.

Today’s Barnum remains a neighborhood of families, with more than two-thirds of Barnum’s housing being owner-occupied, making it a great fit for Extreme Community Makeover.  Our first Work Day is scheduled in Barnum on Saturday, April 11. Contact Angela for more details about getting involved...and check out some of the best views of Denver while you're there!

Read more about Barnum in the Denver Public Library's article here - https://history.denverlibrary.org/barnum-neighborhood-history

For more information, check out our website - http://www.extremecommunitymakeover.org/About/Barnum.aspx