NEWTON TOWNSHIP -- Four years ago when a 5-year-old girl from Lackawanna County was brutally sexually assaulted, her mom had an idea. That idea was the charity Marley's Mission. The organization that offers horse therapy to kids is in the process of building a new home.
"There was nothing here but grass and corn. It looks a lot different now, we have a new road, the pads are going in and the buildings are going up."
Just a few months ago, this was only a field but a tremendous gift for the folks at Marley's Mission.
The charity offers horse equestrian therapy for kids who are victims of abuse. They'd outgrown their old farm and the land in Newton Township fit the bill. But it was still just a field.
"This is home. The community and the wonderful people of Leeward Construction and CB Builders, they made it come true," said April Loposky.
Loposky and Marley's Mission President Gene Talerico showed us around the work that's done so far. Like the land, a good portion of the materials and the labor have been donated, keeping the cost of the new stables to about $1 million.
"We've done everything from a backyard garage for a residential customer, to a winery, to government buildings, but when this walked through our door it was something. We want to do everything we can to make it happen and be a part of it," said Janelle Musselman, CB Structures,
Mennonite workers from Lancaster County came up to do the woodwork, and a construction group from Scranton is literally moving mounds of dirt each day to make the land more accessible. They have a lot of work to do in a short amount of time but the point of this job isn't lost on the workers. They planted a sapling a few weeks ago and water every day hoping it'll grow just like the kids will when all the work is done.
"They guys are actually doing the work like it's in their own yard. They're really working from their heart here, they really are," said Pat Resti of Leeward Construction.
Like the tree, the workers have a long way to go. Marley's Mission is planning a grand opening in a little over a month on July 5.