INSPIRED IMPACT is an ongoing blog series that gives voice to purpose-driven organizations and passionate leaders and entrepreneurs who are making an impact in their communities and industries.
Angela Bomgaars is the Executive Director of Extreme Community Makeover. Follow them on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Linkedin and YouTube and learn more at extremecommunitymakeover.org.
WHAT DO YOU DO?
Extreme Community Makeover coordinates volunteer teams to partner with underserved people to improve their own homes and neighborhoods. These projects build safer environments; cultivate community among residents, neighborhoods, and networks of local resource providers; and connect residents to a permanent path towards healthy, hopeful, and stable lives.
WHY DO YOU DO IT?
Extreme Community Makeover believes that being part of your community is a really important part of life. When you get to know your neighbors and begin to build relationships with them, you start to help and look out for one another and that’s part of living together in a shared geographical space. In the busyness of life today, we often don’t take time to meet our neighbors, which is why Extreme Community Makeover exists – to build relationships between neighbors and across neighborhoods.
WHAT IMPACT ARE YOU MAKING?
Since beginning in 2008, more than 30,000 volunteers have been mobilized to partner with more than 2,400 residents in eight target neighborhoods in Denver to complete projects that improve their home or neighborhood, while cleaning hundreds of alleys and removing graffiti as well. More importantly though, relationships are being built and connections formed that did not previously exist.
WHAT (OR WHO) INSPIRES YOU TO MAKE THIS IMPACT?
We are inspired by the thousands of volunteers around Denver, the United States, and the world, who are showing they want to make an impact in their local community.
WHAT’S YOUR BIG DREAM FOR THE ORGANIZATION AND THE IMPACT YOU WANT TO MAKE?
We want to continue demonstrating practical ways for people to be a good neighbor in their community, in additional neighborhoods and cities.
WHAT RESOURCES DO YOU NEED TO MAKE THOSE DREAMS COME TRUE?
We need financial resources and strategic skills from people who can help us grow and reach our goals.
WHAT IS (OR HAS BEEN) YOUR BIGGEST CHALLENGE?
Our biggest challenge is being a small organization with a large impact – resources don’t often correlate with the output of what we’re able to accomplish.
WHAT WORDS OF ADVICE DO YOU HAVE FOR OTHER LEADERS LOOKING TO MAKE AN IMPACT?
Start somewhere – whatever you can do is better than thinking about it or talking about – just go ahead and do something that will make an impact!
HOW CAN OTHERS SUPPORT YOU OR YOUR CAUSE?
People can support Extreme Community Makeover through volunteering and donating.
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