On an early January morning in College Hill, a small neighborhood in Texarkana, Arkansas, the last thing Anthony Williams wanted was attention. He stood quietly in his yard and watched small business owners haul away piles of debris he couldn’t move on his own.
“It is a blessing that they came through helping me,” Williams told the Texarkana Gazette. “Without them, I don’t know what I would’ve done.”
A small business owner with a pawn shop down the street sparked the effort. He also shared a simple belief: real change in Texarkana starts with showing up.
Tony Miller, owner of East Street Pawn & Jewelry, has done just that for years in College Hill. It’s one of the city’s most challenged neighborhoods. Still, he saw what others missed — hardworking people and real potential.
“There are a lot of honest people over here. This area used to be a strong blue-collar neighborhood. It’s a good place — and I believe it’s coming back.”
— Tony Miller, East Street Pawn & Jewelry
At first, the mess in Williams’ yard felt overwhelming. Without the resources to fix it alone, the task seemed impossible. So Miller, who heard about Williams’ situation anonymously, stepped up and took action.
He posted on Facebook asking for help. Within hours, other small business owners responded.
“People just started volunteering,” Miller said. “They offered equipment, labor, and donations.”
What began as a small plan quickly grew into a full cleanup. Soon after, Collin Carlile, owner of Just-Us Dumping Services, joined the effort.
“From the start, we didn’t ask what happened,” Carlile said. “We just asked what was needed.”
The next morning, Carlile arrived with a 20-yard dumpster. By day’s end, the team had filled three dumpsters with nearly five tons of debris. Local businesses stepped in right away. They brought tools, trucks, and extra hands.
One dumpster arrived within minutes of being requested. Another waited down the street before the first one was full.
“What started small became a real community effort,” Carlile said.
Miller estimates the group hauled off about 70 yards of debris that day.
“It looks a hundred times better now,” he said.
For DeAnna O’Malley of Communities Unlimited (CU), one moment stood out.
“The part that gets me every time isn’t the cleanup,” she said. “It’s the communication. When people talk and listen, others show up. These business owners didn’t want praise. They saw a need and said, ‘I’m here.’”
O’Malley, Area Director for Field Operations, and Chloe Keahey, Community Resource Manager, showed up to support the effort in every way they could — helping clear debris with local small business owners, providing water, grilling food for those on site, and coordinating with city staff and the fire department to ensure the work was done safely and responsibly.
“We came to listen first. Then we looked for ways to help. That’s our role — making connections and bringing in support.”
— DeAnna O’Malley, Communities Unlimited
That approach guides CU’s Community Sustainability Team. In Miller County, the T.L.L. Temple Foundation supports the work. The foundation has deep roots in Texarkana, where its founder built his first business.
Because of that support, this kind of local action keeps growing.
"When local business leaders show up for their neighbors, like they did in Texarkana's College Hill neighborhood, it creates momentum no program alone can produce. We are proud to partner with Communities Unlimited to support the people and efforts that make this kind of impact possible."
— Charlie Glover, President & CEO of the T.L.L. Temple Foundation
For CU, the goal goes beyond clearing yards. Instead, the focus stays on walking alongside business owners who already care about their neighborhoods.
That mindset matches Miller’s vision for College Hill.
He isn’t just running a pawn shop. He’s working toward a place where people feel safe to invest, open businesses, and settle in.
“When a neighborhood looks run-down, people stay away,” O’Malley said. “Tony understands that.”
Miller puts it more simply.
“I just try to give back when I can,” he said. “Through my shop and through helping people.”
Now, he’s taking the next step.
He plans to return with rakes and gloves to keep the work going. He calls the effort “one house to a home.”
“People deserve a safe place to live,” Miller said. “Not a home with holes in the floor or unsafe conditions. Some folks just can’t fix things on their own. Life happens.”
That’s why he wants to help neighbors who need it — physically or financially.
“If we clean up the community, people will invest again,” he said. “Property taxes are low. Crime isn’t what people think. We even have police who care about this neighborhood.
"I want others to see College Hill for what it really is — a place with good people and real promise.”
Tony Miller
In College Hill, change isn’t coming from big headlines or quick fixes.
Instead, it’s coming from people who decided to show up, roll up their sleeves, and build something better for their community.
