A fresh, clean park is now open for community use.

"We got rid of all the bad things, and brought in the good things.”

“Just by nature of the activity, the neighborhood comes in, like what you see around you today.

The survivors are the ones responsible for the cleanup.

Today they are enjoying the fruits of their labor.

"When we came here it was kind of dirty, it wasn't too much here, so we cleaned the trash, we put logs out to make a pathway, we built a table."

Marquise Collins and about nine other men on probation came together as volunteers to get this done.

"It was pretty much something we did to keep time going, keep us out of trouble, something to do every other week instead of meeting in the office."

They work with Omaha Permaculture to help turn abandoned areas into community assets.

"It was a wonderful opportunity for us to connect with a different part of our community in Omaha.”

People living nearby came out for lunch and to make connections.

"It did feel good to give back to the community."

For the survivors they say it's been a fulfilling experience, taking pride in how far they've come.

"Everything is going to be alright, nothing defines you, and it's always a bright light at the end of the tunnel."