Extreme Teams Volunteer of the Month - June 2025

Adriana Lara is the June “Extreme Teams Volunteer of the Month!” When Eric nominated her, he said “She's done it a long time and she has a different perspective from what I’ve done. She's been on the board. She has a lot of experience with a lot of different parts of ECM.” Aside from being on the board of directors, Adriana is the team leader of the Survey Team and is a founding member of the Extreme Teams. Her passion and productivity are always appreciated on Work Days. On days when Adriana is an Extreme Teams volunteer, she can be seen speaking with residents in Spanish and leading survey days to get new projects. Keep reading to hear more from Adriana about her experience with Extreme Community Makeover.

Why did you decide to get involved in Extreme Community Makeover?

While working for the city council office, Adriana helped organize the first Go: Westwood event in 2011. She then decided to become a member of the Extreme Teams. “After I was done with the council work, I still felt really connected to ECM and the work that we do. I don’t believe any other organization would do that work and I think helping community is really important.” Adriana has worked with a lot of organizations in Denver, and she thinks that ECM does a good job being accessible, specifically to the people of the neighborhoods it serves. “I think ECM does provide an opportunity for everyone to be able to help. It's not for, it's with.”

The Survey Team is known for being the Spanish speakers on Work Days, but many volunteers never get to see a survey day in action. The Survey Team adopts a block at a time and goes door to door to see what projects residents need completed. “The commitment from the  organization at the beginning was to know the communities that we're serving. Spanish is the language spoken in these communities, we have teams of people that can make sure that residents have access to volunteer days and also receive those services provided by ECM.”

What is your favorite story about connecting with a resident?

Adriana talks to a lot of residents while volunteering with ECM, but there is one conversation that has stuck with her over the years. In Elyria she met an older couple who reminded her of her grandparents. “They were super proud of their house. They’ve been in the area since they immigrated to the U.S. We were helping them move some tools and doing some backyard cleanup stuff because they were older and unable to do it. He was like “thank you so much  for coming to help with this, I am really proud of my home.” That home was meticulously taken care of.” She was struck by their pride in the community and how they talked about how it had changed since they moved in years before. “They were so proud of being able to still be in that neighborhood. It was a beautiful  thing to see someone who is a longterm resident being able to stay in their community and own their home and grow old in it.” ECM helps a lot of Denver residents age in place and continue to be a part of their communities as they grow older.

Why do you think it is important to volunteer?

Adriana thinks that volunteering is important for building community. “Everybody has something to give, whatever position you are in. And we’ll all help each other in some way, that’s what community is. Volunteering is at the heart of that part because you are able to give back.” She believes that ECM offers a unique volunteer experience because of its level of accessibility. “One of the beautiful things about ECM is that your age doesn’t matter, your socioeconomic status doesn’t matter, your physical ability doesn’t matter. You will be able to help in whatever capacity you can and we will take any help.”

How does being a member of the board give you perspective on ECM?

In her past three years on the board, Adriana has been looking at ways that ECM can grow without losing sight of its mission. “There's ways to grow your leadership in the organization. And I really do believe in the organization. We’re tiny, mighty and strong. I think there's a way for us to grow while still staying true to the ECM mission. ECM really does do a lot for the community and I am just excited to see where we continue to elevate in the future.” Adriana also regularly participates in the Art is in the Air event.

“I think we can volunteer and get out more than we put in. ”

Congratulations Adriana!

Congratulations to Adriana for being ECM’s Extreme Teams Volunteer of the Month! Learn more about how you can also get involved in the Extreme Teams. Check back in July to see who Adriana nominated to be Volunteer of the Month!