WILKES-BARRE, Pa. — Sprucing up the city is no easy feat in Wilkes-Barre. Even with heavy lifting, many hands from Luzerne County's Juvenile Probation system made light work on Wednesday.
Kids getting their hands dirty have been through Luzerne County's Juvenile Probation system.
"Everybody makes mistakes, and just because they made a mistake doesn't label them as a bad kid," said Chris Parker, Luzerne County Chief of Juvenile Probation.
But the message wasn't just to clean up the city but their futures. By their side was a man who did just that.
"I assumed immediately once I had a felony on my record, my life way over. But my life has been abundantly blessed," said Lee Meyers, motivational speaker.
Scranton police detective Kyle Gilmartin was shot in the line of duty back in January. While they come from two different worlds, they share the same bond—a second chance at life.
"I can't say I understand where you're coming from," Detective Kyle Gilmartin told the kids. "Especially considering what happened to me, it's taking this second chance, and I try to do the best I can with it. Not to see anyone get hurt or killed over nonsense. So I hope the kids can just take something away from this."
A message that rings true no matter your background.
"If even one kid can hear something that might start pushing them in another direction or even plant a seed for others, they can have something better than what they're experiencing now. That's my hope," said Meyers.
While it takes many hands to clean up a city, it takes the right people to leave a handprint on their hearts.
"I told those two kids I was proud of them of how they worked and those little things go a long way with these kids," said Detective Gilmartin.
"He said it's not a good place to go. It's not for us, that we should be there and stuff. But I'll never be there cause I'm going to change my ways," said a kid in the Juvenile Probation program.