Apr 19, 2008 4:06 pm US/Central
A Cleanup Effort That Hopes To Cleanup Violence
Crane Technical High School Students Took To The Streets Saturday to Clean Up Their Neighborhood; Process Hopes To Cleanup Violence
CHICAGO (CBS) ―
After their own tragedy this year, students at Crane High School are trying to focus on the positive.
As CBS 2's Pamela Jones reports, by cleaning up the neighborhood, they hope to clear out the violence.
They swept, shoveled and bagged all kinds of litter Saturday.
"Lots of plastic bag pieces and labels from cans -- it can add up because these things don't just disintegrate, they are not biodegradable. And that is not taking good care of our community," said Moody Bible Institute student Anna Leonhard.
It's a way to give the area around Crane Technical High School an improved look. But it could mean so much more.
"If people have pride in their community, and if they can see that people care about them, they're going to be more caring about the people around them," said Collins Vanliew, Moody Bible Institute student.
Organizers say the shooting death of 18-year-old Crane student Ruben Ivy has brought negative attention to the school and the neighborhood.
Police say a fellow student gunned him down during a fight in March.
"The good kids can't get a break," said community activist Earnest Gates of the Near West Side Community Development Corp. "They don't talk about the kids that are making good grades."
Organizers say Saturday's effort is part of a treaty formed a couple of weeks ago. It brought people with gang affiliations together with students, parents and community leaders - all tired of violence and negative images in their neighborhoods.
The group designed T-shirts encouraging a violence-free lifestyle. And they pledged to participate in efforts like this to promote a sense of unity.
"We're trying to come out, clean up, show the community that we still care," said Crane student Chris Dillon.
Dillon wants to be a police officer when he graduates. He says he truly believes small efforts like the cleanup could start to create a cleaner, safer future.
"People can come together if they know that it's time for a change and we need it right now," he said.
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