Extreme Teams Volunteer of the Month - June 2026
Victor Galvan Ramirez is the June “Extreme Teams Volunteer of the Month! When China nominated him, she said “I enjoy Work Days with him because he's just so friendly and approachable. And I feel like he is really dedicated to the work that we're doing, and I think that he really contributes to the overall feeling of fun while we're all working incredibly hard.” Victor is on the Projects Extreme Team and is also a part of the Good Neighbors program. His commitment and hard work are always appreciated on Work Days. On days when Victor 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?
Victor joined the Extreme Teams two years ago after being invited to a Volunteer Happy Hour by a coworker, who ended up not being able to attend the event. As a Denver native who loves getting his hands dirty, he knew that he wanted to join ECM. “Organizations like Extreme Community Makeover are necessary to make sure that we continue to have that pride and that we prosper.”
What is your favorite story about connecting with volunteers?
A man of many words, Victor had two recent stories from Work Days to share. Recently in West Colfax, a group of students from Regis High School were cleaning an alley and met a resident who was working on his car and came out to see what was going on. “They just kind of started asking questions. It was a really sweet moment. It felt really special to see the kids talking to some of the neighbors that we were working with. This wasn't arranged, it just happened naturally. And as we were going, he offered us water and helped clean up the alley. I think it was just nice for them to get that appreciation, a moment of gratification that our work isn't unseen and it's not just back alleys. People really appreciate it.”
Victor also volunteered at this years Go: Westwood Work Day and met a family that had an impact on him. The youngest member of the family (pictured below) was eager to get involved in the Work Day, despite his multiple surgeries for a congenital disability. His family let him control the pace of the work in the alley. “It was just really beautiful to see this family working together, and then also just completely leaning on him on whether or not he needed to to take a break or whatever, but also just letting him challenge himself.”
The volunteers always leave an impact on Victor. “I love the camaraderie with the volunteers and it's funny to see some of the relationships between the younger people and the older volunteers. You see the worldly volunteers just dig in and then the younger kids have to warm up to it. But then, soon enough, they're either competing or encouraging one another. I think it creates a lot of really good value and work ethic.”
How do you see ECM making an impact in Denver neighborhoods?
As a Denver native, Victor often thinks about his time spent as a child in the city. “As somebody who used to run through a lot of Denver neighborhoods, rode my bike, and stuff like that, I know [the trash that accumulates] can attract not great circumstances. Removing it keeps the peace of mind that there's not crime happening in that area. I'm hoping that seeing it beautiful and clean inspires folks to just continue to keep it that way. Too often, we see investments in parts of the city that are already super affluent. This shows our neighbors that they're not forgotten, and that just because we're low income, or in a place where people do decide to throw their trash doesn't mean that we deserve it.”
During Go: Westwood, Victor noticed an arch built over the alley connecting two houses that were owned by the same family. “I had never seen that before, but there was something about just having pride in it. When we finished the job, just seeing straight through the alley, how much it had transformed, it replenished that pride. I hope that those neighbors saw that and really felt good to continue to keep it clean.”
What has the Good Neighbors Program match meant to you?
The Good Neighbors program matches a volunteer with a resident from an ECM supported neighborhood. Victor works with Erlinda. “She is such a sweet person. She is in her older age, and has a hard time getting around and doing a lot of the things that she used to. Every time she calls me, I know it's because it's something that she can't get to. It feels good to just be able to be somebody that can be that support, and oftentimes, the task is pretty easy.” But more than helping Erlinda around the house, Victor has found that the companionship has become more important to both of them. Erlinda lost her spouse several years ago, and the relationship she has formed with Victor and his wife has been an important connection. “What I'm finding myself more and more doing is sitting for an extra hour and just talking to her. Sometimes it's just companionship. Other than maybe getting the groceries every once in a while, or trimming the hedges or raking leaves, it's more about connection. I think she's still a little bashful about us bringing her food or anything like that, but she definitely welcomes me and my wife to just come over and chat.”
“This is one of the few organizations that has short term goals that are achievable. They're not daunting, like we want to clean the entire city of Denver, instead it's like ‘today we're gonna clean this alley, and there's gonna be a start, there's gonna be a finish, and there's gonna be a result.’ There's something beautiful about that, knowing that the campaign can be short. We have the tools to do it, and it only takes time and some elbow grease.”
Congratulations Victor!
Congratulations to Victor for being ECM’s Extreme Teams Volunteer of the Month for June! Learn more about how you can also get involved in the Extreme Teams. Check back in July to see who Victor nominated to be the next Volunteer of the Month!
