How a Denver ECM Cleanup Day Restored My Faith in Community

*** Warning: This post contains a liberal dose of em dashes. It’s not AI-created writing, it’s I’m a former print journalist who loves himself a good em dash or ten! ***

December has always been a crossroads month for me. It is a wind down on the year we have had, and a glance ahead towards the year yet to come. I know most people do this genuflecting closer to the holidays. I find that's too chaotic a time to allow such reflection and manifesting. 

This isn’t going to be one of those posts that wind up being a humble brag listing all the work the company completed  – all disguised with platitudes gushing about our clients. 

Nor is this blogpost going to be discussing how we are “leveraging” the latest technology and “AI” to improve our “efficiency” and better position ourselves to be the premiere destination for video marketing and production in Colorado.

Every company and organization is doing that if they want to at the bare minimum survive – besides, it’s all rather boring.

No, I want to talk about doing good things. 

Doing selfless things. 

And doing good, selfless things with good people.

I want to talk about Extreme Community Makeover. 

Extreme Community Makeover brings communities together through building relationships “one block at a time.” 

Their words, not mine. But the thing is, they actually do. 

I first came across Angela and her organization when they hosted a cleanup day in my Denver neighborhood in 2023. I found out about it through my Registered Neighborhood Organization, and spent the day driving around in a pickup truck with a neighbor collecting bags of trash, debris and who knows what from alleys all around the neighborhood. 

One of the things that struck me on that day – and has since then is it really does bring people together. Just look at the volunteers. You could have a church group from the suburbs, working alongside a corporate work party, working alongside a high school sports team, alongside some random good people, who want to do a little good in the community.

And the people you meet and the stories you hear…

During a cleanup in the Westwood neighborhood, I filmed an interview with a long-time resident who talked about how the neighborhood used to be. Homes with dirt floors, people raising chickens and ducks, people growing crops and vegetables. And mostly about sharing. Always people sharing what they had with one another.

As we get more and more siloed and isolated, we don’t get many chances to make these kinds of connections and live these experiences in our everyday life.

So you can do a couple of things:

• VOLUNTEER – yes, get out there and sweat under the Denver sun and do some manual labor. Come with yourself or organize a group. It doesn’t matter. Bring some good gloves, a water bottle and be prepared to meet other volunteers and thankful residents. Heck you even get a bag lunch provided for you.

• DONATE – ECM just held its annual fundraiser, “Art is in the Air” this past month. But with Colorado Gives day, you can help give them a much needed boost.

Another thing that I love about ECM – and I know other volunteers do as well, they’ve told me during interviews – is there is no bloat. There is so little overhead in the organization. I feel I am making more of a difference when I can give to an efficient group, so most of my dollars are actually going to the mission I am supporting.

ECM isn't asking for much, just your hands and a few hours,and/or whatever monetary donation you feel comfortable sparing. 

I'll be back out there in 2026, I hope I see you at one of the cleanup parties.