DECATUR, Ill. (WAND) - The old Durfee school, formerly a church, will be ground zero for dozens of young men to beautify the area and the surrounding neighborhoods.

Starting Tuesday at eight in the morning is Shemuel Sanders' four-work-week program.

Sanders lost his daughter to gun violence in June. It has been a month since her murder, but in the midst of heartache, his investment in the youth keeps him motivated. 

The four-work-week program involves sponsoring a child for four weeks and for one hundred dollars a week. Participants will do community service and Sanders will introduce them to influential community leaders. They'll be paid the $100 once a week. So far, the program has enough to sponsor 10 kids. 

"I can see my daughter looking down on me," Sanders said as he smiled. 

Expect to see the old Durfee playground cleaned up and its grass cut.

Sanders believes he can make difference in the lives of the youth. If someone would like their yard fixed, Sanders suggested reaching out to him to make it happen and he'll bring a couple of young men with him to clean up. 

To Sanders, it is not too late to reach out to young people. He's been told the children are "set in their ways." However, if he can touch the heart of one person, then the memory of his daughter lives on. 

"It's going to be a change in this community, I really believe that," Sanders said. 

One can best reach out to the Shemliah Sanders Outreach Center by calling (217)519-8994.