Communications Team Blog : 8.12.23
Various groups attended ECM's August 12th work day in the Villa Park Neighborhood with attitudes as bright as the shining sun, though there was enough cloud cover to keep the heat away, allowing people to work hard beautifying the neighborhood.
The City Attorney’s Office visited the neighborhood to help make it a better place. The office would attend a work day annually at least since 2019. They noticed an increase in crime in areas with neighborhoods not well maintained and wanted to take a proactive approach to help with beautification.
While Chis was working in the backyard Brad with trimming a tree in the front and reflecting on a day of meaningful fun.
“It feels good to give back to the community, and we have a great to time doing it,” he said.
“Upkeep of different properties and some of the criminal behavior that we observing and some of the challenges that residents deal with,” Chis who organized the group said, “We wanted to get out in the community instead of being reactive as a prosecution office, and we wanted to be a part of the underlining solution.”
Neighbor April comes to the park with her husband and helped maintain it year-round since 1992 but appreciates the ECM volunteers doing extensive work cleaning, mowing, and trimming trees and bushes. The rainfall accelerated the growth of vegetation in the park. After the work, it goes from overgrown the bearable. Families and nearby neighbors enjoy the park year-round as a place for kids and dogs to play.
Cindy was the group lead with St. Andrew’s Church with youth leadership team retreat helping with the park and a tradition for the organization throughout the years working with Angela.
“Since we are a regional church the kids are from all over the city so it is nice we are here.”
“I’m new to Denver, so I was excited to get involved with the community, and this is the first community service project since moving here. I thought it was a good way to integrate into both Regis Jesuit and the local community, she said.”
Kiana chaperoned Regis Jesuit students to clean up an alley, and it was her first time as a new resident of Denver.
Small efforts lead to big things, even if individuals don’t feel like they are doing much, and much of the cleanup involved a lot of weeds.
“It is inspiring when people come out and ask us what we are doing, and they are so gracious and appreciative because I feel like we are not doing much,” she said.
Another chaperone, Brett filled in for volunteering at Regis to help out for a friend and was glad he could join the group for the day.
“It is hard work, but it needs to be done. 12 of us in our group, and there is more work to do is a testament to how much work needs to be done. I like helping out a different community and would do this in my own community,” he said.
This was Shayla's 6th work day with Regis Jesuit as either a chaperone or team lead, but she had a good time being in a new neighborhood for the first time and learning how to get around.
“It is pushing some comfort zones," she said. "Some hard work and some enthusiasm. I think some students are enjoying using their hands, seeing different parts of town as well.”
“Power is numbers is so helpful to have lots of folks, and when you have so many you can focus on the big picture…I found myself focusing on the nitty gritty, and it feels like you aren’t making a lot of progress, but focusing on the big picture gives you perspective. ”