Communications Team Blog : 4.23.22

Youth Volunteerism Today

A number of youth participated in Extreme Community Makeover’s Go: Westwood project on April 23, partnering with residents of Denver's Westwood neighborhood for a day of service. When asked about their involvement in volunteering for the day, here are a few glimpses into “why” youth get involved in service.

Maya, from the Heritage High School Student Government group, took the initiative to bring along forty of her classmates to volunteer for the day. "I thought it was important to have them here to get involved and help other people." Maya did something similar after Hurricane Katrina, which motivated her to bring others along to volunteer with her.

While walking through the neighborhood, we came across Regis Jesuit High School student, Andrew. It was his first time volunteering for service hours, which are a graduation requirement at Regis. "There are so many people involved today, which I didn't expect. It makes me want to come back again since it’s fun to be part of such a big service day."

Down a nearby alley, Jose inspired his 10-year-old nephew, Angelo, to get involved and spend some time focusing on the environment. "We get to help the earth get cleaner…and not see the world's end. "I wanted to help out the neighbors, too," Angelo said. He wanted his friends to come to help him clean up the alleys and hoped they join him next year. 

One of the adult leaders from the Regis Jesuit High School Boys Baseball team has roots in the Westwood neighborhood. "I used to ride my bike to the boys club up there. My mom still lives near there, too. I still see them there all the time. This is something we do with the program, and I always like coming back." He also talked about seeing one of his old friends who works for Denver Parks and Recreation, who also participated in the Go: Westwood project by providing trucks and support for trash removal. 

Three boys at Munroe Elementary, Marcus, Gael, and Carlos, painted the fence near their school and shared their motivation for volunteering, saying they had a lot of fun during the day. The conversation was rather engaging as they discussed the food they like and the highlights of their day. They wanted to help make the earth a beautiful place by picking up trash so people can see a nice view when they drive through the neighborhood. To them, one of the best things was getting outside and having fun while cleaning the community. This attitude sums up how the youth of Denver helped make Go: Westwood such a successful event. 

- Kenny, Communications Team