Service Learning Reflection

On the morning of Saturday September 12th I met up with the staff of Extreme Community Makeover (ECM) and the other volunteers for that day at a church parking lot in the Westwood neighborhood of Denver.  I was immediately impressed by the organization and professionalism of the ECM staff and the organization in general.  There was a table in the parking lot where volunteers signed in and where t-shirts were available for purchase.  I signed in, bought a t-shirt and mingled with the other volunteers.  There was an impressive turn out with two different high school groups, individuals, church groups and families.  We were organized into approximately four different groups each with a different project assignment in the neighborhood.  Some groups were painting a home while another was cleaning up an alley and removing graffiti.  I was grouped with the other individual volunteers and we were assigned to clean up and landscape the front and back yard of an elderly women named Diane.  Diane lived alone, was on a small fixed income and was physically and financially unable to keep up with the bushes, plants and trees on her property that were badly overgrown.  Her home was on the corner and also had a lot of trash and debris in the bushes and along the fence.  A group of about 8 of us divided out projects around Diane's home and then got to work.  With only a 45 minute break for lunch we spent a total of 8 hours trimming rose bushes, trimming trees, trimming bushes, cutting grass, pulling up weeds, removing trash, repairing fences and lattice work.  I was exhausted by the end of the day, but it was worth it.  The transformation of Diane's property from overgrown jungle to open and airy was remarkable. It was very rewarding to see how grateful Diane was and the impact our work had not only on her home but on the block.  Many neighbors stopped by to comment on how great the yard looked and we even ended up helping some adjacent neighbors trim some hard to reach tree branches and clean gutters.  I met some great people from the neighborhood and through the group of volunteers.  It was honestly a much better experience then I had anticipated, partly due to the time and resources ECM puts into making sure volunteers have what they need, being on time and organized and really believing in the work they do.  It was easy to see how these smaller projects can add up overtime to make a profound impact on poor and underserved neighborhoods in Denver.

Diane, the women whose property we cleaned up, would be included in the frail elderly population described in the Stanhope text in Chapter 20 where health disparities and vulnerable populations are identified.  The text states that almost half (47%) of women over the age of 75 live alone and that almost 3.5 million older persons live below the poverty level (Stanhope, 2014).  Diane lived alone, was widowed, and was too frail to work.  I did not ask, but I imagine she was surviving on social security and was below the poverty line.  During my time as a nurse at Denver Health hospital I probably cared for hundreds of elderly women like Diane in the acute inpatient setting.  They often came in for falls, infections, cardiac or diabetic complications.  It was inspiring to still be helping someone in need but instead of in a hospital bed, going directly to where they live.  I could still have an impact on someones life outside of the area of medicine.  It showed me how much of an impact others can have on the health and well-being of individuals and a community by completing tasks and projects many of us take for granted.

As a result of my day with ECM I have found myself recommending them to friends and family as a great way to get outside, get a good workout and make a positive change for individuals and communities in Denver.  I encouraged ECM to reach out to Regis University as well to build a relationship and recruit volunteers.  I can say with confidence that I will be back to volunteer with ECM again and help them improve our city one block at a time. 

Photos from 9/12/15 ECM project

Extreme Community Makeover

I spent quite a bit of time mulling over the myriad of options for volunteer service opportunities in Denver and found myself repeatedly coming back to Extreme Community Makeover.  

From their website:

What is Extreme Community Makeover?

Extreme Community Makeover is designed to invite volunteers into a partnership with residents of specific Denver neighborhoods to complete home and neighborhood improvement projects.  These projects include graffiti removal, landscaping, painting, yard work, or other projects identified by the residents.  Groups such as churches, companies, families, and schools may participate, or individuals can take part.  Equally important as fences that are built are the relationships being built—between the volunteers and community members, among the neighbors on a block, and between the community and resources in their neighborhood.

I will spend 8 hours working on neighborhood projects on Saturday Sept 12th.  I am excited to see first hand what ECM does and to meet the other volunteers and community residents.