Throughout the month of June, the Scranton CCC collected items for Marley’s Mission, a non-profit that provides equine-based therapy free of charge to families who have experienced trauma.
Scranton CCC collected more than $800 worth of items including finger paints, snacks, juice boxes, books, markers, crayons, toys and more.
Pictured: Scranton CCC Counselor II William Barrager and Marley’s Mission Founder and Director April Kemp
In July 2009, at home with her family in a small Northeast Pennsylvania town, a five-year-old girl was brutally attacked by a complete stranger. Police immediately responded and captured the attacker. He was prosecuted and is currently serving a life sentence.
Immediately after the arrest, the outpouring of support from the community was overwhelming. A fund was established for the benefit of the little girl and her family so they could move from their home to try to start a new life. As a longstanding wish of their daughter, the family also bought the little girl a horse.
After limited success with traditional therapy, a horse was infused into the girl’s therapy regimen. Immediately, a recognizable change was witnessed and for the first time since the attack, the mother of the young victim saw a glimmer of her daughter that had not been seen since 2009.
It was at this time that April Kemp realized that if a horse can have such a dramatic and positive impact on the healing process of her daughter, it could also help other childhood victims of abuse. Thus, Marley’s Mission, named for the little girl’s pet guinea pig, was born.
Marley’s Mission is currently housed on a 64-acre campus in Newton Township, Lackawanna County. The Mission uses 15 horses in its program and employs a team approach to healing children who have experienced trauma. The treatment team includes a specially trained Trauma Therapist and an Equine Specialist. The treatment team has been educated in the internationally recognized Equine-Assisted Therapy Model (EAP) developed by the Equine Assisted Growth and Learning Association (EAGALA).
The form of therapy used at Marley’s Mission does not include horseback riding. Rather, their work with horses and children is completed on the ground helping children develop solutions in their own lives and breaking barriers in their own healing.
The Mission hosts a week-long summer camp for their clients, and it works closely with health care professionals, the community and educational institutions through speaking engagements, internships and volunteer opportunities.
