Extreme Teams Volunteer of the Month - September 2025

Sep 9

Alice Hargrove is the September “Extreme Teams Volunteer of the Month!” When Lizzy nominated her, she said “I haven't seen anyone more committed than she is to the full day. And as a woman, she's standing in dumpsters and doing what it takes the entire day. A total problem solver, I'm always really impressed just watching her.” Alice is on the Projects Team, as well as being a former member of the Board of Directors. Alice was recognized for her commitment to ECM with the Denver7 Everyday Hero award last summer. Her commitment and hard work are always appreciated on Work Days. On days when Alice is an Extreme Teams volunteer, she can be seen driving the ECM truck, talking with residents about their projects, and playing dumpster Tetris. Keep reading to hear more from Alice about her experience with Extreme Community Makeover.

**How did you first hear about Extreme Community Makeover?**
Alice and her husband moved to Colorado from Los Angels in 2018, and they were invited to the Art is in the Air fundraiser by their niece and nephew, who have volunteered with Extreme Community Makeover for many years. “I had done a lot of volunteering at Habitat for Humanity in LA. And I was like, well, I really love the idea of volunteering.” So her niece and nephew encouraged her to get involved in the 2019 Work Day season.

What is your favorite thing to experience on a Work Day?

Her favorite part of Work Days is the connections made with the residents. “I love it when the people in the home come and work alongside us. I think that's always really special.” Recently on the September 6th Work Day, Alice and the other volunteers got to work alongside multiple residents working together to complete their house projects. They also got to work with the community at Rocky Mountain Prep Southwest in their school garden. “Interacting, I think that's how to make the biggest impact. And I think that's really the best way to do it is to work alongside the volunteers, to sort of instill that experience in their lives so that it can be carried forward and same with the people that we’re helping.”

In 2024, Alice received the Denver7 Everyday Hero award for her work with Extreme Community Makeover.

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

Alice sees the relationships built in the ECM neighborhoods building community. She notes that the work doesn’t happen in a vacuum. “I don't think if we're just going up and down the alleys and picking up trash and we're not really communicating with the neighborhood, then how do they even know we've been there?” In her six years on the Extreme Teams, Alice has been able to experience working with the community consistently. The biggest impact comes from “being in the community, doing the work, working alongside the neighbors in the communities and really making an impact that way.”

I like it when the residents work alongside us. I'm glad we encourage that. I think that's what it's all about.

Why do you think it is important / beneficial to volunteer?

Volunteering, in Alice’s perspective, should be instilled in society. “It's not always about taking, taking, taking, you know, it's about giving.” Alice thinks volunteering should be a societal norm. “I think it's always good to give back to your community. It's a win win situation. It makes me feel good, it makes the people I help feel good, it makes the community feel better. The community benefits from all of this. I think it's everybody's role to do that too.”