Extreme Teams Volunteer of the Month - December 2025

Dec 14

Hillary Knaebel is the December “Extreme Teams Volunteer of the Month!” When Jason nominated her, he said “She is extremely grounded. She's young, and she's just as involved as anybody else who is older and has more time. I really like her approach and perspective. We're completely different people but I think we approach it with an equal amount of commitment.” Hillary is the team leader of the Logistics Team, as well as being a member of the team for Service Enterprise reaccreditation. Her commitment and hard work are always appreciated on Work Days. On days when Hillary is an Extreme Teams volunteer, she can be seen checking in volunteers, selling merchandise, and serving lunch. Keep reading to hear more from Hillary about her experience with Extreme Community Makeover.

**How did you first hear about Extreme Community Makeover?**
In 2019 when Hillary was planning a company volunteer day, her research led her to ECM. She led 30 people in a Work Day in August, and was noticed for her organization skills. Afterwards she got an email from Angela asking her to be a part of the Logistics Team. On Work Days, the members of the Logistics Team organize check in and merchandise as well as handling lunch and being problem solvers during the day. Hillary was also a member of the Work Days Logistics Team in 2023 during Angela’s sabbatical.

What is something unique you have experienced on a Work Day?

Hillary appreciates the connection to the residents while working with ECM. There is not a specific Work Day that comes to mind connected to meeting the residents, since it happens most Work Days. “It's so unique that the residents are involved, and I don't think that's something that you really commonly see in these kinds of opportunities. If you volunteer some other places, you don't even know whose house it's going to be. Whereas here you pretty much always meet the residents.” Residents can get connected to ECM through the Survey Team or by being a longtime resident who has worked with ECM before. On most Work Days the resident is home and involved, whether that is working alongside the volunteers, sitting on their porch, or greeting the volunteers before and after the project. “They're super appreciative and there's actually the opportunity to talk to them and build relationships.”

**Do you have a favorite story about volunteering with ECM?**

Hillary was a part of the team that supported ECM’s certification as a Points of Light Service Enterprise in 2022 and along with reaccreditation in 2025. She noted that during this process she not only got to know and appreciate ECM better as an organization, but she also got to know her fellow teammates better. “I developed such a cool relationship with Jason, Eric, Diana and Donna and we all just got to know each other really well while getting to make ECM something even better.” Eric even helped Hillary hang her microwave in her kitchen. “I felt so bad asking him to come help, but he just kept saying, ‘tell me when you're home, I'm going to come help you.’ I think ECM is full of those kinds of people and you don't find that very often.”

How do you see ECM making an impact in Denver neighborhoods?

In her seven years of Work Days, Hillary has gotten to see many transformations. “It's just incredible to see the number of alleys or super overgrown yards that have been transformed. One of the last Work Days I worked, we had people come by the command center and leave a donation because they lived in the neighborhood and were so thrilled to see that we were working in an alley near their home.” But beyond the physical before and afters, Hillary reflects on the people who have been impacted by the ECM volunteers. “In every single job, every single Work Day, you get the opportunity to just see the real impact on everyday people. And you get to know them. It's not like packing a bag at a food bank and you never get to meet the person. It's really rewarding for the volunteers that way and I think it's part of the reason people keep coming back.” Hillary has also been able to form relationships with residents who have had multiple Work Days over the years. “It's so cool to go to the same person multiple times.”