‘Extreme Makeover’ volunteers, some facing their own problems, turn out to help family

You might have heard: "Extreme Makeover: Home Edition," the popular ABC series, came to Las Vegas recently, turning a northwest Las Vegas neighborhood into a sprawling outdoor Hollywood soundstage.

But it's funny how, even among the show's on-air talent and behind-the scenes crew -- not to mention the local gawkers who stopped by to check out the action -- it was the corps of volunteers who stood out.

There were about 3,000 of them, according to a show spokeswoman, all of whom swung hammers, slung dishes, served soft drinks, painted murals, picked up trash and worked phones to iron out the hundreds of details that went into staging this 106-hour-long, 21st century version of a frontier barn-raising.

The beneficiaries of their effort: Las Vegas' Cerda family, who were plagued with a home that had suffered several plumbing-related floods leading to severe water damage, a serious mold problem that was making the Cerda kids sick and structural damage that was costly to repair.

For volunteers James and Kimberly Lentini, pitching in to build a new home for the Cerdas was a way to return to others the help they received after being hit by a drunken driver in 2007.

"My wife is partially paralyzed because of that," James said. "She lost the use of her left arm and she's undergone three brain surgeries. But we still believed that, out of all of the people that helped us, we're going to give back to the community."

"We also have three kids at home," Kimberly added, "and they do whatever they can, too."

For Elizabeth Agudo, who signed on with her daughter, Renee Lozano, volunteering was a chance to offer the kind of help they'd like to think others would give them if they ever needed it.

Agudo has, herself, been out of work since Feb. 1. "Our situation isn't that good, either," she said. "We're going to have to move back to California at the end of this month."

But, in the meantime, Agudo continued, "I thought that, since we were here in Vegas, I'd come out and volunteer my time."

For Ray Stefke, volunteering was a chance to wrest a little good news out of times that aren't.

"You listen to the news every day, and everything is negative. People are ripping off people and taking advantage of people and things like that," he said. "I think it's the perfect time to give to the community and raise everybody's spirits."

It's nothing new for Stefke, who, as a service club president back in New York, coordinated a program that brought Third World children to New York for medical care.

Stefke, who had his own construction firm back then, now works in the trade show industry here. But he long ago discovered that "you just can't put a dollar amount" on community service.

Stefke was surprised, too, to discover that so many of the other volunteers he talked to either were out of work or, like him, making do with reduced hours.

"These people are coming out," he said. "Some of them maybe are facing foreclosure or maybe they're not able to pay their bills next month. But they're pitching in and trying to help a family they don't know anything about and, like myself, have never met.

"To me, it's a priceless feeling to come out here and see the community all chip in like this to help out."

For Lynda Parker, volunteering was, admittedly, a chance to participate in her favorite TV show.

"I love the show," said Parker, smiling. But, more importantly, continued Parker -- who also was the proud wearer of a "Pay It Forward" wristband -- "I'm so thankful to be part of something so much bigger than myself and my own world."

Parker and Judith Mason both worked in the show's catering tent. When she signed up, Mason told show staffers that she was a records manager -- although she, too, is between jobs right now -- "and if they could use my help with any kind of paperwork, I can do that."

But, Mason said, "if they want me to serve food, that's fine."

On the other hand, Mason conceded, laughing, "I'm not one to swing a hammer. You don't want me in that building."

For Rhiannon Hamel, who runs her own entertainment and events company, volunteering even provided a fascinating look at what happens when TV and community service collide.

"I mean, at the end of the day, there's TV and there's a lot of stuff where you go, 'Oh, it's scripted' or whatever," said Hamel, who worked the catering tent and also helped to coordinate food service for a downtown mural-painting effort. "But, in general, the whole concept is such a feel-good story.

"I watch the show every week, and cry every week that I watch it. So it's for a very good cause, and I love doing it."

Given the enthusiasm the volunteers brought on-site, it was particularly appropriate that the Cerdas were the focus of their efforts. Wife Terri Cerda long has been involved in a variety of local, national and international charitable efforts. Husband Chuck Cerda's work as an employee of the Department of Homeland Security has taken him to such locales as post-Katrina New Orleans. Even daughters Maggie and Molly have been honored for their community service efforts.

So, if anyone could appreciate the power of enthusiastic volunteerism, it's the Cerdas.

"I don't think words have been created to express my gratitude," Chuck Cerda said the day after he and his family first saw their new home.

The couple's children suffer from a severe immune disorder that prevents them from going to school, church or even playing in public places with friends, Terri said. Thanks to the project, the couple said, the entire family rediscovered that their world -- their community -- extends far beyond the confines of their own home and family.

"What this community did for us, the number of people that came out to be a part of this is, to me, just so amazing," Terri said. "I just can't say thank you enough."

Contact reporter John Przybys at jprzybys@reviewjournal.com or 702-383-0280.