Guiding the Next Generation

One of the community pillars in the Westwood neighborhood is Redeemer Lutheran Church of Denver. The church is located at 3300 West Nevada Place in Denver. Pastor James Fernandez and his office assistant, Kathy O'Connor, greet you with a smile when you enter their office. You can tell they love what they do. "We appreciate seeing the impact we make in the neighborhood. It’s life changing for some of these people," enthusiastically explains Pastor James.The church has been a partner of Extreme Community Makeover for about six years now. They regularly provide their facility to host ECM Work Days in the summer and fall.  "We are honored to be the base of operations for a lot of different Westwood events. We enjoy partnering with organizations like Extreme Community Makeover and Westwood Unidos. It's our desire to be a safe place for the neighborhood to come gather with their families. We want to make lives better here in Westwood," explains Pastor James.Not only is the church an ECM Work Day host location, but they also volunteer on the Work Days. Both Pastor James and Kathy have fond memories of volunteering with ECM. They are looking forward to volunteering this year for Go:Westwood. "I am hoping to get a good number of the kids to volunteer for Go: Westwood," says Kathy. Go: Westwood is a day of volunteering, targeted in the Westwood neighborhood on April 22, 2017.Redeemer Lutheran Church of Denver has a strong heart for the kids in their neighborhood. They believe it's a huge honor to help guide the next generation. These strong ties go all the way back to 1945 when the church established a school - first grade through eight grade. The school is HOPE at Redeemer Learning Center and, although it was once a private school, it is now a public school. The school is online curriculum based, and it has teachers in the classroom. The school is a great option for kids who don't fit into the traditional classroom environment.There's nothing more honoring than being able to shape a child's heart. Redeemer Lutheran Church of Denver is a beacon of hope for the Westwood neighborhood's kids. The church provides a place for learning with their school. They also model what true service is, by being involved with organizations like Extreme Community Makeover. Redeemer also provides a place for the kids to hangout with movie nights, chapel, etc.Like Redeemer Lutheran Church of Denver, Extreme Community Makeover believes in the ability to change someone's life by a simple act of kindness. We can reshape an entire generation by being good examples of action in teaching them to serve their communities and be kind to their neighbors. Each year, ECM organizes volunteer Work Days that encourages adults and youth to get involved in reshaping their communities, one block at a time. If you are looking for an activity to get the kids you know involved, ECM is a great choice - sign up.