Extreme Community

Earlier this week the TV cast and crew of Extreme Makeover: Home Edition unveiled their latest accomplishment in a southeast neighborhood of my home town, Albuquerque, New Mexico. Overall, the whole situation can be summed up in one word: awesome.

But it wasn’t just the show and Ty Pennington that awed everyone. The most marvelous aspect of the entire experience was the community force that pulled together. The builders who donated materials and the numerous and diverse volunteers of all ages who donated their time and sweat--from construction to catering to massages--throughout the week really made the magic of the show work. It takes the right people to conjure the right magic.

Overall, a team of over 3,000 people contributed! In one week, an old house was razed and a brand new masterpiece was constructed for a deserving family whose father has been rewarded for transforming a needy community into a refuge. Reverend Gerald Martinez’ efforts with his ministry has decreased crime in the area and improved the lives of everyone he’s “touched” in a matter of only four years.

What began as a gift to a wonderful and giving family turned into an even greater gift for the entire community.

These are the kinds of stories that should fill up the front page of all newspapers. This story covered our local paper's front page just the other day. For any fans of the show, the episode will air some time this spring.

I wish the show could make a change in every neighborhood.

~Sue Donckels, Managing Editor for Mom Writer’s Literary Magazine

Comments

[Sue Donckels]

Thanks for pointing this out. The next time I post, I'll highlight Atreus' efforts. I'm surprised that the volunteers' names or the businesses' names, at least, aren't highlighted in the media. Maybe I'm not looking hard enough, but I shouldn't really need to dig. I wasn't a volunteer, obviously, but I want to applaud the efforts of those who did give their time/materials.

[GoodScout]

I think the thing the TV news missed was that it was local people who actually built the house -- not the ABC people, and certainly not Ty. My nextdoor neighbor works for the electricians, and he said the homebuilder, Atreus Homes, is a local company and did the house for free, with all the other companies donating their time and materials too.