The Leadership Lackawanna Core Program Class of 2016 held a groundbreaking ceremony Friday for the Healing and Transformation Garden which will benefit the Children’s Advocacy Center of Northeastern Pennsylvania in Scranton.

The project, titled “Planting a Promise,” will benefit one of our most vulnerable populations, children and teens who have endured abuse and neglect. The garden will provide a safe haven for children and a way for them to experience nature, helping to mitigate stress, and promote healing.

The space will combine earth’s elements of earth, water, air, and fire to provide a complete sensory experience.  It will incorporate a variety of different zones including a butterfly garden, which will represent spiritual rebirth and transformation.  Children will have the opportunity to paint a rock and leave it behind in the rock garden.  

This will serve as a creative and safe means for them to share their feelings and will also comfort other children by showing them that they are not alone.  The garden will also feature a reflection area, a fire pit, hammocks, swings, a sandbox, and a picnic area.

The overarching goal of the project is to transform a vacant plot of land into a healing and transformation garden that will provide a sense of renewal to children and teens as they work through the healing process and rebuild their lives with the help of the staff at CAC/NEPA.

There are numerous opportunities for community involvement, including sponsorships, in-kind donations, purchasing an engraved brick for the walkway, and volunteer work.

For more information, visit the Leadership Lackawanna website.

NewsClip:

Ground Broken For Healing Garden At Children’s Center In Scranton

3/7/2016