Blog
February 27, 2020
One of the unique things about Extreme Community Makeover is that each person who is involved has their own story about ECM which is tied to their unique experience. Thus, we would like to share some of these stories with you throughout the year. The first story comes from Eric, who is the leader of the Projects Team and has been volunteering with ECM since 2010.
February 14, 2020
With Valentine’s Day here, we’re wondering… will you be our customer? More than 22,000 Denverite’s have shared the love and signed up, but we’re hoping for even more love in 2020.
February 4, 2020
When meeting Noe Bermudez, owner of Kahlo's Mexican Restaurant, you are immediately struck by his kind demeanor. The kind, authentic, and vibrant vibe in his restaurant reflects Noe's persona. The popular authentic Mexican restaurant has been in the Westwood Neighborhood for about four years now.
January 29, 2020
Thank you for reading our first edition of Extreme Endeavors for 2020! If you are a planner, you will appreciate this message, since it includes the full schedule of how you can do good through Extreme Community Makeover this year. Even if you're not a planner, just save this message for future reference. I am excited to embark upon a year of stepping into our core mission of building stronger communities "one block at a time". A number of opportunities exist to get involved this year, so I hope you will join us for the journey.
January 22, 2020
There are many reasons to prevent food waste. After all, wasting food wastes all of the valuable resources used to grow, harvest, transport and store food in the first place. In a recent report, the Natural Resources Defense Council found that wasted food is responsible for wasting 19% of all U.S. cropland, 18% of all farming fertilizer use, 21% of our landfill content, 21% of our agricultural water usage, and 2.6% of all greenhouse gas emissions.
January 8, 2020
Here are a few quick reminders and tips that will help keep valuable recyclables out of the landfill and help keep Denver’s recycling program operating smoothly:
January 2, 2020
What better way to start off your new year than by determining to be kind wherever you go? After all, random acts of kindness can bring beauty to a person's day on both the receiving end and the giving end. Here at Extreme Community Makeover, we like to create a culture of kindness.
December 26, 2019
For our annual year in review message, I would like to say thank you for a year filled with "Getting Your Hands Dirty" while "Being Kind" and "Doing Good". Thank you for showing up in the lives of your Denver neighbors in 2019!
December 26, 2019
The legend of Santa Claus is a little mysterious. His larger than life persona has definitely made history. It's kind of strange to think of Santa as an actual real man who lived years ago. However, he was a real person! You could even say that Santa was a good neighbor. He looked out for the needs of those around him and he made it a goal to serve others. He gave his life to bless others! The HISTORY channel shines some holiday light on the very first Santa Claus.
December 18, 2019
On October 19th, Valerie Herrera, with the City and County of Denver’s Community Planning and Development Department, and Fernando Abbud ,with Planning and Design, volunteered with Extreme Community Makeover. It was a beautiful day for our last Saturday Work Day of the season.
December 10, 2019
Today is Colorado Gives Day! Our goal is to raise $5,280 so that we can
continue serving our Denver neighbors - through showing up and getting our hands dirty. Check out the video below to see how Extreme
Community Makeover is making a difference in Denver.
December 6, 2019
American households generate 25% more waste between Thanksgiving and New Year’s Day, adding one million tons of waste to landfills each week. Together, we can help change this statistic. Here are just a few tips and tools from Denver Recycles that will help you keep waste prevention, recycling, and composting in mind as we move into this festive (and often wasteful) time of year:
December 5, 2019
Please join me for Colorado Gives Day this year. It takes place on
December 10, but you can schedule your donation today. Our goal is to
raise $5,280 so that we can continue serving our Denver neighbors - like
the Westwood community. Read their story below.
December 2, 2019
Please join me for Colorado Gives Day this year. It takes place on
December 10, but you can schedule your donation today. Our goal is to
raise $5,280 so that we can continue serving our Denver neighbors - like Erlinda.
November 29, 2019
La Alma/Lincoln Park is the neighborhood where the Santa Fe Arts District is located. This neighborhood is one of Denver's oldest, and is just to the south of the area where Denver was first settled in the 1850's. Here are a few local businesses to check out the next time you're strolling through or at the district's First Friday events.
November 22, 2019
With Thanksgiving coming up next week, there are many things to be thankful for. Here are a few of the things that make our list here at Extreme Community Makeover.
November 20, 2019
Here at Extreme Community Makeover, we like to create a culture of kindness. We feel that random acts of kindness can change our world. We all benefit greatly when we give and receive kindness. Kindness is such a simple thing, yet it is so powerful.
October 23, 2019
Nowadays, the streets of West Colfax are filled with shopping centers, healthcare facilities and commercial offices that blend with residences in this Hispanic and Asian multi-ethnic neighborhood.
October 23, 2019
Summary of 10.19.19 ECM Work Day: Volunteers who participated – 15 Projects completed – 3 Alleys cleaned – 2 Volunteer hours invested – 60 Photos from […]
October 17, 2019
It's hard to believe we are nearing the end of another Work Day season! With our final Saturday this weekend and a final weekday group next week, I would like to say thank you to everyone who has given their time as a volunteer this year. And as we celebrate a great year, the ECM way to celebrate is to throw a party / fundraiser, which is Art is in the Air. I hope you can join us on November 7!
October 9, 2019
If you're looking for a fun and unique way to help us raise money for Extreme Community Makeover, join us for a volunteer day at Elitch Gardens! This is a great way to have fun, perhaps ride a rollercoaster or two when your shift has finished, and help us raise some money.
October 9, 2019
Summary of 10.5.19 ECM Work Day: Volunteers who participated – 65 Projects completed – 4 Alleys cleaned – 3 Volunteer hours invested – 260 Photos from […]
October 2, 2019
Extreme Community Makeover serves eight Denver neighborhoods: Barnum, Elyria, Globeville, La Alma/Lincoln Park, Swansea, Villa Park, West Colfax, and Westwood. We take pride in serving these Denver neighborhoods to prosper and be healthy.
September 27, 2019
We all have our own reasons for volunteering, and I am sure most of our intentions are noble but, can and do our personal agendas and intentions get in the way of the spirit of helping, and service? I think sometimes, yes; how can they not…. we are human, and we are works in progress.
September 25, 2019
Summary of 9.21.19 ECM Work Day: Volunteers who participated – 55 Blocks adopted – 1 Projects completed – 8 Alleys cleaned – 3 Volunteer hours invested […]
September 12, 2019
During our volunteer days, we have lots of people participating and have all kinds of personalities shining through that put their unique stamp on what we're doing. During a recent volunteer day, a few volunteers had fun recreating their version of American Gothic, which we will call "Denver Gothic"...volunteer style.
September 9, 2019
Summary of 9.7.19 ECM Work Day: Volunteers who participated – 75 Blocks adopted – 2 Projects completed – 5 Alleys cleaned – 4 Volunteer hours invested […]
September 6, 2019
Extreme Community Makeover not only reaches people in the state of Colorado, but also beyond this beautiful state. We've had volunteers from 21 other states so far! Volunteers hear about us online by googling volunteer opportunities in Denver.
August 30, 2019
Our theme this year is Get Your Hands Dirty! We offer a variety of ways, on our Volunteer Work Days, to get your hands dirty with lots of outdoor projects, including painting someone's house or fence, removing graffiti, etc.
August 27, 2019
Summary of 8.24.19 ECM Work Day: Volunteers who participated – 50 Blocks adopted – 1 Projects completed – 5 Alleys cleaned – 3 Volunteer hours invested […]
August 15, 2019
ark your calendar! PaintCare is hosting a paint collection event on Saturday, August 24, from 8 AM to 3 PM at South High School (1700 E. Louisana Ave.). Don’t miss out on this free and convenient opportunity to get old, unwanted paint out of your home. Signing up for this event is as easy as creating an appointment at www.paint-denver-south-high.eventbrite.com.
August 11, 2019
Summary of 8.10.19 ECM Work Day: Volunteers who participated – 10 Projects completed – 3 Volunteer hours invested – 40 Photos from this Work Day – […]
August 8, 2019
I hope you are enjoying this last month of summer when the weather starts cooling down (some days) and the days get a little shorter. We have a couple of volunteer days coming up this month, if you haven't had a chance to volunteer yet this year. But we also have our Volunteer Appreciation BBQ coming up on Sunday!
August 7, 2019
On Sunday, August 11, from 4:30 p.m. to 6 p.m., we'll be hosting a Volunteer Appreciation BBQ/Fun Day and we'd love for you to join us! We always have a blast at our BBQs. It's a day of fun and celebrating volunteering in Denver.
August 6, 2019
Volunteering is a great opportunity to connect with the community, to meet people from across the city, from all walks of life. On July 27th, we at Extreme Community Makeover (ECM) ‘got our hands dirty’ with the Rock Canyon High School Football Team in Denver’s Globeville community!
August 2, 2019
There are a variety of ways that individuals, churches, organizations, schools and companies can give back to Extreme Community Makeover. One of them, you may not know about, is becoming a Work Day Sponsor.
August 2, 2019
Summary of 7.27.19 ECM Work Day: Volunteers who participated – 45 Blocks adopted – 3 Projects completed – 10 Volunteer hours invested – 270 Photos from […]
August 2, 2019
Summary of 7.23.19 & 7.25.19 ECM Work Days: Volunteers who participated – 180 Projects completed – 6 Alleys cleaned – 33 Volunteer hours invested – 970 […]
July 24, 2019
Summary of 7.16.19 & 7.18.19 ECM Work Days: Volunteers who participated – 40 Projects completed – 2 Alleys cleaned – 1 Volunteer hours invested – 132.5 […]
July 19, 2019
If you are familiar with the neighborhoods Extreme Community Makeover serves, you know there are eight Denver neighborhoods where volunteer Work Days take place. These neighborhoods are Barnum, Elyria, Globeville, La Alma/Lincoln Park, Swansea, Villa Park, West Colfax, and Westwood.
July 18, 2019
Summer is in full swing around Extreme Community Makeover and we have had lots of volunteers cross our path this summer from Denver and other places around the country!
July 17, 2019
Summary of 7.13.19 ECM Work Day: Volunteers who participated – 25 Projects completed – 2 Volunteer hours invested – 100 Photos from this Work Day – […]
July 17, 2019
Summary of 7.9.19 & 7.11.19 ECM Work Days: Volunteers who participated – 60 Alleys cleaned – 11 Volunteer hours invested – 387.5 Photos from this Work […]
July 17, 2019
We asked some volunteers what their advice would be to a first time ECM volunteer and here is what they had to say:
July 8, 2019
Summary of 7.2.19 ECM Work Day: Volunteers who participated – 10 Projects completed – 1 Alleys cleaned – 1 Volunteer hours invested – 60 Photos from […]
July 3, 2019
How healthy is your home? The average U.S. home generates about 20 pounds of household hazardous waste per year. Many common products, such as garden chemicals, adhesives, […]
July 2, 2019
Summary of 6.29.19 ECM Work Day: Volunteers who participated – 35 Alleys cleaned – 4 Volunteer hours invested – 150 Photos from this Work Day – […]
July 1, 2019
Summary of 6.25.19 & 6.27.19 ECM Work Days: Volunteers who participated – 140 Projects completed – 7 Alleys cleaned – 16 Volunteer hours invested – 790 Photos […]
June 26, 2019
Summary of 6.18.19 & 6.20.19 ECM Work Days: Volunteers who participated – 55 Blocks adopted – 2 Projects completed – 9 Alleys cleaned – 1 Volunteer hours […]
June 26, 2019
If you don’t have a Denver library card, you are definitely missing out on some of life’s perks! Any Colorado resident or student in-state attending […]
June 17, 2019
Summary of 6.15.19 ECM Work Day: Volunteers who participated – 55 Blocks adopted – 4 Projects completed – 7 Alleys cleaned – 3 Volunteer hours invested – 310 […]
June 17, 2019
Summary of 6.11.19 & 6.13.19 ECM Work Days: Volunteers who participated – 50 Projects completed – 4 Alleys cleaned – 4 Volunteer hours invested – 230 Photos […]
June 14, 2019
June is always one of our busiest volunteer months of the year, since the weather is ideal for home projects, people have a little more flexibility […]
June 12, 2019
Save yourself time and energy this growing season by grasscycling, or simply leaving your grass clippings on your lawn after mowing. Grasscycling makes mowing quicker and easier, and is […]
June 10, 2019
Summary of 6.4.19 & 6.6.19 ECM Work Days: Volunteers who participated – 85 Blocks adopted – 2 Projects completed – 10 Alleys cleaned – 7 Volunteer hours invested […]
June 7, 2019
Matias first volunteered with Extreme Community Makeover when he was in seventh grade. He is now in high school and he really enjoyed his most recent […]
June 5, 2019
Summary of 6.1.19 ECM Work Day: Volunteers who participated – 70 Blocks adopted – 1 Projects completed – 2 Alleys cleaned – 9 Volunteer hours invested – 290 […]
May 31, 2019
“Ask yourself: Have you been kind today? Make kindness your modus operandi and change your world.” ~Annie Lennox Here at Extreme Community Makeover, we like to […]
May 29, 2019
The May 18th Work Day in the Swansea neighborhood was one of the strangest that ECM has ever seen. It started off like any other sunny […]
May 23, 2019
Summary of 5.18.19 ECM Work Day: Volunteers who participated – 20 Alleys cleaned – 2 Volunteer hours invested – 60 Photos from this Work Day – […]
May 22, 2019
Spring is here, and it’s time to take your recycling and gardening efforts to the next level by learning how to compost in your own backyard! […]
May 17, 2019
The Colfax Marathon is coming up on May 18-19 and Extreme Community Makeover has four relay teams participating in the race! The Colfax Marathon gives runners […]
May 10, 2019
Did you know that a big part of the Extreme Community Makeover’s volunteer Work Days is efficient trash removal? ECM uses dumpsters every other Saturday, starting […]
May 8, 2019
After what seemed to feel like a never-ending winter, spring finally peaked it’s beautiful head out on a gratifying and warm Saturday morning in the Globeville […]
May 8, 2019
Summary of 5.4.19 Go: Westwood: Volunteers who participated – 235 Projects completed – 6 Alameda Avenue cleanup, Cuatro Vientos Park cleanup, Munroe Elementary School art and garden […]
May 2, 2019
Spring has sprung (debatable on some days recently) and Work Days have begun! Each year we pick a theme and this year that theme is “Get […]
May 2, 2019
If you haven’t heard about Go:Westwood, it’s one of the biggest volunteer Work Days Extreme Community Makeover hosts, hundreds of volunteers participating each year. This year’s […]
April 30, 2019
As mentioned on the Extreme Community Makeover website; we pick a theme each year based on the ECM mission. This year’s theme is “Get Your Hands […]
April 26, 2019
Summary of 4.20.19 ECM Work Day: Volunteers who participated – 15 Projects completed – 4 Volunteer hours invested – 67.5 Photos from this Work Day – click […]
April 24, 2019
Denver residents looking to start the garden and landscaping season off right won’t want to miss Denver Recycles’ Annual Mulch Giveaway & Compost Sale on Saturday, May 4, 2019 […]
April 19, 2019
Spring is here, and summer is just around the corner. One of the best things about summer is enjoying our neighborhood parks. Here are a list […]
April 12, 2019
Repost Estimated National Value of Each Volunteer Hour Volunteers in the United States are 63 million strong and hold up the foundation of civil society. […]
April 10, 2019
As you may know, each year, Extreme Community Makeover picks a theme. We pick the themes based on the overall vision of ECM. Past year’s themes […]
April 10, 2019
Summary of 4.6.19 ECM Work Day: Volunteers who participated – 130 Blocks adopted – 4 Projects completed – 14 Alleys cleaned – 6 Volunteer hours invested – 780 […]
April 4, 2019
We had our Spring Kickoff last week and the Work Day season begins again this Saturday, so we have lots of events and projects underway. In […]
April 3, 2019
National Volunteer Week is April 7th through April 13th, so it’s time to celebrate volunteering in Denver! Volunteer service impacts our communities and neighborhoods in a positive […]
March 27, 2019
Even better than recycling, the number one way to reduce waste is to not create it in the first place. Not creating waste requires refusing disposable items, and reusing and repairing products […]
March 22, 2019
ECM welcomes all levels of financial support from churches, companies, individuals, organizations, and schools. We have ECM Work Day partnership opportunities for each of our Saturday […]
March 19, 2019
Even though there has been no shortage of cold and snowy weather recently, spring is coming soon…hopefully! And the Work Day season is about to begin […]
March 14, 2019
Extreme Community Makeover hosts Happy Hours each month at different restaurant locations in Denver. It’s a time to celebrate volunteering in Denver and to meet new […]
March 8, 2019
Our social enterprise business, Extreme Yard Care, is growing! All this growth requires equipment for existing projects, as well as new equipment to expand our scope […]
February 22, 2019
“Be kind, for everyone you meet is fighting a hard battle.” ~Ian Maclaren It’s true…everyone is fighting a battle of some sort. Therefore, always remember to […]
February 19, 2019
You may have noticed that volunteers are at the heart of Extreme Community Makeover. That’s why we like to highlight a few of these amazing individuals […]
February 14, 2019
If you’ve been on the Extreme Teams for a while, you are used to seeing Eric Hofschire around on volunteer Work Days, helping out on the Projects Team. […]
February 6, 2019
Denver’s Adopt-a-Spot program is a great resource for residents that are motivated to help keep Denver a clean and safe place to live and play. The […]
January 25, 2019
Extreme Community Makeover serves eight Denver neighborhoods, which include Barnum, Elyria, Globeville, La Alma/Lincoln Park, Swansea, Villa Park, West Colfax, and Westwood. Out of these eight […]
January 23, 2019
Welcome to a new year! If you’re wondering what’s up for 2019, I was hoping to have the whole year planned out by now, but it’s […]
January 8, 2019
Betty moved to the Villa Park neighborhood 25 years ago with her three sons after her husband passed away. She lives now with her youngest son […]
December 19, 2018
Luis is on the Extreme Teams, Survey Team, and on the Board of Directors for Extreme Community Makeover. He found out about ECM when he was visiting with […]
December 14, 2018
Tom and Sue (this is not their real names because the family wished to remain anonymous) have lived in their neighborhood for 38 years. They make […]
December 13, 2018
We made it through our year long journey of recounting highlights of Extreme Community Makeover over the past 10 years! What a journey filled with twists and […]
December 7, 2018
The city of Denver has much to explore, and especially during the Holidays. We are lucky to live in such a beautiful city and fortunate to […]
November 30, 2018
Denver Recycles encourages you to keep waste prevention, recycling and composting in mind as you move into this festive (and often wasteful) time of year. Not only do […]
