Extreme Teams Volunteer of the Month - July 2026
Steve Wurst is the July “Extreme Teams Volunteer of the Month! When Victor nominated him, he said “I feel like he’s always working hard to make sure that things are getting done with the trash cans and such a big job going and hauling all the trash.” Steve is on the Projects Extreme Team and has been involved with ECM since almost the beginning. His commitment and hard work are always appreciated on Work Days. On days when Steve is an Extreme Teams volunteer, he can be seen driving the ECM truck, picking up trash bags, and working alongside the volunteer groups.
How did you first get involved in Extreme Community Makeover?
Steve has been involved in ECM since almost the beginning, he estimates 15 or 16 years. He originally scheduled a volunteer group from his church through a youth oriented event, bringing students from multiple states to Colorado to volunteer. He got hooked into the Projects Team in the early days of the Extreme Teams. “I had coffee with Angela and started with the Projects Team doing projects, which is the same thing I'm doing today all these years later.” Steve has always been a service oriented person. He also worked in the landscape industry for many years, so it was a natural transition for him into the tasks of the Projects Team.
What is your favorite story about connecting with volunteers?
One day in La Alma/Lincoln Park was unique for Steve. A group of students from Valor High School were volunteering and Steve noticed a women always had a student from the group with her. He didn’t think much of it since he had work to do, but she caught up with him later in the day. “I found it interesting, and when I found myself putting some stuff in the dumpster, she came up and she started asking me questions. And I was just like, I don't, why do I recognize this person?” It turned out that she was a reporter for Fox 31 teaching a class at Valor on interview skills.
Steve also highlighted his connection to Eric, who was a member of the Projects Team for many years (and volunteer of the month in May of 2025.) Eric is currently living in Spain, but he and Steve worked together for many years. They connected over the fact that Eric was a teacher at a school where Steve knew both students and teachers, which created an instant bond. Eric even kept an eye on Steve’s granddaughter when she was a freshman at this high school. This relationship allowed them to work seamlessly together on the Projects Team. “We had that common bond. So that was kind of a fun story.”
How do you see ECM making an impact in Denver neighborhoods?
Steve admitted that he thinks ECM does too good of a job at cleaning up the neighborhoods in Denver. “I feel like the city of Denver should be doing that stuff on their own.” Over the last 15+ years he has taken part in a lot of transformations, particularly on multiple Go Westwood volunteer days when he worked on Alameda. “In the grand scheme of things, I think it beautifies the little area that we do.” But to Steve the biggest impact comes from the relationships ECM makes with residents. “It seems like we go back and help the same neighbors over and over again, which in itself is good.”
“I think it's important for people to help others. There's lots of different ways we can do that. Some people just give money, which is great. Some people like to give of their time, which I think is fulfilling inside. I think it’s important for others to help somebody who can't help themselves.”
Congratulations Steve!
Congratulations to Steve for being ECM’s Extreme Teams Volunteer of the Month for July! Learn more about how you can also get involved in the Extreme Teams. Check back in August to see who Steve nominated to be the next Volunteer of the Month!
