An Evening of Art and Much More

Thank you to everyone who came out to the Art is in the Air event.  Through the event sponsors and participants, we were able to raise over $8,000!  Thank you for everyone's generosity and support in partnering with ECM to impact Denver neighborhoods "one block at a time".  Here are a few of the pictures, but you can see many more here.

 

Art is in the Air on Thursday

Denver Justice Conference

The Denver Justice Conference offers two days of training on how to actively respond to local injustices. Diverse churches and non-profits equip and empower individuals and communities to identify and respond to the most pressing issues in our city.

During this year's conference, participants will be delving into the topics of Youth & Education, Homelessness and Immigration through the lens of "Meeting Needs, Empowering People and Advocating for Change." 

Come find out more about many of the great organizations working in these crucial areas throughout Denver at this conference.

November Extreme Endeavors

Check out this month's email newsletter here.  Make sure to stay up to date with ECM by receiving this info once a month directly to your email.  Sign up here.  Thanks for reading!

Art is in the Air

You are invited to Art is in the Air on November 10!  View the invitation here and invite your friends to join you - http://paperless.ly/uNfhE0.  Hope to see you there!

Before-During-After

Volunteers from the Urban Land Institute assisted with the clean up, trash removal, and weeding at an unoccupied house.  Farris, a neighbor who lives next door to an abandoned house that had become a dumping ground, as well as a hangout for the homeless, solicited the help of Extreme Community Makeover.  “Those guys [the volunteers] have done so much. They were so awesome to work with.”

Although isolated by geography and transportation, with the help of Extreme Community Makeover residents of Globeville helped better the community and themselves.

BEFORE

DURING

AFTER

Despite the Rain

Despite the rain, volunteers met and helped residents of the Globeville on Saturday October 8th.  Physically isolated from Denver by freeways, railroad lines and the South Platte River, Globeville is a community apart.

Members of Greenwood Community Church visited one house and assisted with trash removal and overall cleanup and organization of a yard. There was a lot of weeding to be done, but the church members focused and completed the task at hand. Marcelino, the resident, explained that he had just become so busy that maintaining his yard was harder than he expected. “It was a lot to get started, and having Extreme Community Makeover here to help made it so much easier. I’m so grateful. A lot was needed and a lot was done.”

Save the Date: November 10

ECM Wins the Charity Fan Vote!

Thank you to everyone who voted for Extreme Community Makeover in the Citywide Banks Charity Fan Vote contest on Facebook.  Read more here.  With 46% of the votes, ECM won the $500 donation.  Each vote made that possible, so thanks for your support!

Small Changes.....Huge Impact

Extreme Community Makeover (ECM) provides the small changes necessary to make a huge impact – leaving neighbors connected and neighborhoods different. For Karen, living in Southwest Denver’s Westwood neighborhood her experience with ECM started with a piece of paper. After her husband died, maintaining her house while taking care of her grandchildren was nearly impossible due to her fibromyalgia,. After visits from the city with warnings to clean up her property, Karen found a paper on her door from ECM. “I was relieved, and glad to have some help. I thought they’d just come for a few hours but so many people showed up – it was like a Godsend – everyone came and it was done.” For Karen, cleaning up her yard, cutting up fallen trees, nailing up a fence and painting the back of her house provided her with relief. With Extreme Community Makeover, a paper left on a door can leave a house and a neighborhood just looking different.

Vote for ECM to Win $500

ECM has been nominated to receive a $500 contribution from Citywide Banks.  But there are four other organizations also competing for the prize.  If you are on Facebook, please "Like" the Citywide Banks page and scroll down where you will then have the option to choose "Extreme Community Makeover" to receive your charity fan vote.  Click here now.!

To read the spotlight about ECM, click here.

Thanks for voting!

10,000 Volunteers - 1,000 Projects!

As today marks the tenth anniversary of 9.11, ECM reached a signficant milestone as a group from God's Grace Community Church served with ECM today.  The accomplishment is that this group of hard-working folks helped ECM surpass 10,000 total volunteers who have worked with families in 6 Denver neighborhoods to complete 1,000 total projects since ECM began in 2008!  Today shows that volunteering can really make a difference as we all look for ways to be a good neighbor by remembering the sacrifice that many of our own neighbors have made for others, as well as ourselves.





Working Together is Success

“Coming together is a beginning. Keeping together is progress.

Working together is success.”   -  Henry Ford

[Before the water fight]

Royce was soaked. His fellow workers weren’t much better after the impromptu water fight, but no one seemed to mind. The Colorado sunshine was warm and already their clothes were beginning to dry as they went back to work. The five University of Denver students gathered around the lawn, studying it carefully. “It’s still a little uneven on this side,” said Royce. “Let’s try using the board again.” Royce was enjoying himself. True, none of the group had ever leveled a lawn before, but the elderly woman who owned the property had given them advice, and the team was figuring it out.

They continued to work through the afternoon, talking and laughing with one another. After the lawn was leveled they were able to spread out grass seed, and the owner of the house came out with a special sealant that she helped them put on. Finally the job was done and the group left; tired, dirty, and extremely happy. Looking back on the day, Royce said that he would definitely want to work with ECM in the future. “I wish there were more groups like ECM all over the country!”

- Amelia N

Supported by a Community

From the moment the ECM team knocked on my door and offered help I felt support on its way.  My husband and I are first-time home owners and we both work two jobs.  Our yard was becoming a daily source of stress.  We constantly struggled to keep on top of maintenance. 

Angela and the ECM team were able to schedule their visit to the Barnum community easily though email.  Unfortunately we were not able to connect on ECM's first visit to Barnum, but Angela followed up with me and made sure that she scheduled the help we very much needed. 

The ECM team scheduled a visit with me, but I was surprised when I opened the door to more than fifteen people that were there to help me.  I quite honestly couldn't believe the help I was about to receive.   I showed them the problems that I was having with my front yard, like large stumps that needed to be dug up and tree branches that were brushing the house.  They smiled and got straight to helping me.  When they were done with the front yard they moved into the back yard.  I wasn't even expecting them to help me with both spaces!  The ECM team spent five hours helping me with my yard.   It was a phenomenal experience and I can’t believe the way this organization came together to help me and my neighborhood. 

The ECM group was not only a very hard working bunch but they were willing to teach me how to do things like fill my lawnmower.  They gave me confidence to be able to tackle this daunting task.  I feel like my yard is now at a point where I can maintain it.   

It was a pleasure to have help from such amazing and supportive people. It’s not every day that I’m fortunate enough to have help from such a smiling group of people.  I left feeling supported by a community and this is a new feeling for me.  THANK YOU ECM!!!!  

- Cortney, Barnum resident

Amazing Summer Volunteers

With the month of June passing by so quickly, it's hard to believe one month of summer is already behind us.  But June has been a great month for Extreme Community Makeover (ECM) thanks to the amazing volunteers who have been a part of helping ECM impact Denver neighborhoods

ECM has hosted groups of volunteers every Tuesday and Thursday this month, which will continue through the first week of August.  Many of these teams have traveled long miles to come to Denver and spend a week here through organizations such as Adventures in Missions, City Connexx, and Youthworks.  We have seen volunteers from Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Nebraska, and Texas within the past couple of weeks and they have worked hard to paint houses, clean yards, and remove graffiti.  But most importantly, they have been able to build relationships with 26 families.

If you find you have a Tuesday or Thursday free in the month of July, come on out to join ECM and help a neighbor.  You might just find yourself turning into an amazing volunteer as well!

For more information - click here.
To see pictures of these amazing volunteers - click here.

“I myself am often surprised at life’s little quirks.” - The Princess Bride

I began volunteering for Extreme Community Makeover (ECM) my freshman year of college. The Campus Crusade chapter at my school had a group that went with some frequency, a group that was comprised mostly of upper classmen. At the time it seemed like a golden opportunity, a way to serve in the community and to meet some of those oh-so-terribly-mature-and-cool-people-I-want-to-be-just-like.

On one of my first days with ECM, we were assigned dumpster duty. Our instructions were to go up and down the alleyways and to paint over any graffiti that had been marked on the dumpsters. One of the older Crusade guys immediately had us divide into two groups of four, and then down into pairs in order to maximize our efficiency. I was a little nervous about my partner. Michelle was a pretty blond sophomore. Though I had never really met her, I knew she had a reputation as being both extremely smart and very nice. I suddenly felt insecure – Michelle obviously had plenty of friends. What would she think of a silly little freshman like me? 

Our group of four trekked down to our first alleyway and began to work, moving from one dumpster to another. When the other pair got caught up in talking to one of the local residents, Michelle and I decided to move on to the next dumpster. It was quite a ways down the alley, and soon the sound of the guys talking behind us became remote. We had just about reached the dumpster when we heard a growl. I had just enough time to register a chain link fence before a hundred pound brown blur was hurdling himself straight at us. The fence shook with the weight of his impact and Michelle and I both screamed. We took off running and dodged around the dumpster. Behind us, the dog was still barking for all he was worth, discontentedly pacing behind the fence. Michelle and I looked at each other and began to giggle. Soon we were outright laughing, relief and embarrassment pouring out. 

All of a sudden I had a sobering thought. “Michelle, the boys are going to have to walk right past that dog. Should we warn them?” Again we looked at each other. Warning them would be a kind thing to do. But they were guys; manly-men. They could handle it, couldn’t they? And if we were wrong, and they did end up screaming like little girls and running behind our dumpster, well, then we would all have something to laugh about. Michelle agreed. We would just wait behind the dumpster and see what happened.

It was at that moment that I decided I really liked Michelle. While she looked (and truly really was) sweet and kind, she also had an adventurous, fun side that could pop up in the strangest places. I was to see it again years later when we both studied abroad at the same school. Our friendship was what helped me to handle the inconveniences and quirks of travel with grace. And to think, it all began with a day spent at Extreme Community Makeover dumpster painting.

The guys didn’t scream, by the way. They barely glanced at the dog (who, in my opinion, had gone soft in the minutes we were waiting).

by Amelia N

June Extreme Endeavors

Find out about a few of the things ECM has been up to this month.....

http://myemail.constantcontact.com/Summer-Is-Here.html?soid=1102372201958&aid=BZwFoqapXR0

May Extreme Endeavors

May's email newsletter shares many of the neat things happening through ECM this month. The most exciting news is that ECM is officially a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization!

 

http://myemail.constantcontact.com/ECM-is-a-501-c--3--Non-Profit-Organization-.html?soid=1102372201958&aid=YF9KRka7c5M

If you would like to receive this monthly email update, click here to sign up - http://visitor.constantcontact.com/manage/optin/ea?v=001I2RsqMRJGm8Mk7Z6rMDLmA%3D%3D

Thanks!

From an Idea…..to a Program…..to a Non-Profit Organization

From an idea…..to a program…..to a non-profit organization.  How does that happen?  How did I ever get connected with this idea that has impacted the direction of my life immensely?

Have you ever really taken time to think about how you got involved in the non-profit world and specifically, the organization that you’re dedicating your life’s work toward?  I have been contemplating those thoughts a lot lately.  Three years ago someone came to me with this concept called the Extreme Community Makeover (ECM).  He shared the idea with me and invited me to be a part of the team that was going to give this concept more structure and strategy.  The idea piqued my interest, so I said, “Sure, I would be glad to get involved!” without even thinking twice about it.

And now, here I am writing this blog post, reflecting on the past three years, and realizing how much ECM has really transformed my own life.  What started out as one of the millions of ideas people have every day, transitioned into a program of a non-profit organization.  In the past three years, we have had thousands of people also say they would like to get involved and because of these volunteers, ECM has been able to impact hundreds of residents in specific Denver neighborhoods to partner with them to complete home and neighborhood improvement projects, while building relationships throughout the process.  And now, ECM is transitioning into becoming its own non-profit organization!  How did this happen?  How did this idea turn into something so much bigger than anyone imagined?

The non-profit sector is designed to affect social change for the common good of people.  I would venture a guess that each of you reading these thoughts got involved in a non-profit for that reason – because you wanted to make a difference in your community and in our world.  And because of all the great ideas out there, non-profit organizations are doing amazing work, which is the work that each of us is privileged to be a part of on a daily basis.

Fortunately, ECM has been an idea that has stuck and is something that I get to be connected with firsthand every day.  I have been able to watch it grow into a solid program model that is hopefully making an impact in the lives of the people and neighborhoods we are trying to reach.  But what really strikes me most is the impact ECM has actually had on my own life.  ECM has given me a first hand glimpse into skills that I never knew I had, as well as areas where I need to grow as a person and as a leader.  And I can usually always find opportunities to implement those needed improvements right away.

All of us in the non-profit world are doing the work we do because we want to make a difference.  But I think we should never underestimate the difference our work can make in our own lives.

Angela Bomgaars

Executive Director, Extreme Community Makeover