More Than 120 Volunteers Help Beautify a Sherman Park School

Townsend Street School's first-year principal, Redona Williams, was worried volunteers wouldn't show up for her school's community day.

Williams said, "They could've said 'oh no I'm not going to feel safe', but they felt safe enough to be here today, and I am so proud that they are here."

The school is just blocks away from Sherman Park, where a portion of destruction and unrest played out last weekend. 

Despite last weekend's violence near the Sherman Park school, more than 120 people from GE Healthcare followed through on their promise to help "beautify" the school Wednesday.

Williams said, "That made me excited when they came to say 'oh no we wouldn't have missed this', that made me feel good."

The head of the GE Healthcare volunteer group, Joe Shrawder, said, "We're going to be here in the good times, we are going to be here in the tough times. If anything, what happened over the last several days just strengthens our resolve, and made it that much more important that we come out here and be here today."

Williams said she lives across the street from Sherman Park, and witnessed much of the unrest over the last few days. She said she wants the students to see their school as a beautiful place, and is hoping Wednesday's improvements help make that happen.

Williams said, "I moved to Milwaukee 30 years ago, and I lived in this neighborhood and I'm not going anywhere. So I want what's best for my neighborhood, for the children that live in this neighborhood, and for this community."

Two Milwaukee police officers were also seen helping the volunteers plant flowers Wednesday morning, Williams said the officers work out of District 7.