CHAMPAIGN, Ill. (WCIA) — A Champaign apartment complex that saw a violent first half of the year got a makeover to help brighten its future.

On Saturday, community members met at the Oakwood Trace apartments and focused on cooking, cleaning and having fun with neighbors.

Executive director of FirstFollowers, Marlon Mitchell, said cleaning up the property for tenants can improve people’s outlook while they’re trying to move on from two shootings earlier this year.

“We just noticed that, you know, the community needed to come together and kind of help out and put your hand in between us,” Mitchell said. “Cleaning up some of the debris and litter that was around and also some, like, landscaping.”
               
Community members stepped up Saturday at Oakwood Trace to show that there can be a better tomorrow after two shootings at the complex. One took place in March, killing 31-year-old Anthony Miller, and another, took place just last month, sending a teenager to the hospital. 
               
“Just to see us all come together,” Mitchell said. “And wrap our hands around an issue which is prevalent in our community.” 

He said his organization was already revamping units in the buildings before last month’s shooting.
“What we’ve done is, we’ve been able to turn over about six units thus far,” Mitchell said. “You know, there’s another building contract that’s out that I’ve been walking through just looking at some of the units that need to be turned over. Out here today, we just looked at one unit.”
               
Then, it dawned on him… the community could do more to help people living there. On Saturday, they offered games for kids, food and handed out school supplies on top of cleaning up around the grounds. Mitchell said it also helps his re-entry program where former inmates can practice a learned skill.
“We got a lot of guys that want to do the work, just learn. They just learn the skill set and actually go into these units, look to see what it is before and after. It really makes them feel good to be a part of something like that,” Mitchell said.

FirstFollowers is part of the H3 Coalition, a group of stakeholders who volunteered last weekend. This includes the Champaign County Housing Authority, CU Reparations and the Champaign Police Department. But for Mitchell, it’s also a personal matter.
“I care about my community… I grew up on the north end of, Champaign. And so I’m familiar with the community,” Mitchell said.

Mitchell said they’re not stopping with Oakwood Trace. While they plan on renovating more apartments there, they want to clean up three or four more properties in the area while the weather is nice.