29 Aug Building a Better Community with Volunteer Therapy

Scranton, PA – Through the funding of the Scranton Area Community Foundation and donations from the Home Depot, Keystone Mission launched their first Go Green Team volunteer therapy initiative. The initiative is new to the vocational program at the Scranton Innovation Center, where guests can interact with a greater community.

Keystone Mission’s Go Green Team is headed up by their vocational specialist, Lasha Wyman-Klien. “Being a vocational specialist is not just about placing [guests] in a job… it’s about helping them find their path and a purpose,” said Wyman-Klien.

The team met at the Heritage Trail Pavilion on West Olive Street on Friday, August 11^th. Guests and staff were recognized by their neon safety vests as they swept and picked up garbage in the surrounding area.

The purpose of the Go Green Team is to bolster guest collaboration, building a better sense of belonging and responsibility.  This program is a new opportunity for staff to pursue better conversation, encourage strong work ethics, and strengthen relationships with guests while cleaning up the Scranton area. Keystone Mission anticipates the program will grow to include more community involvement and further its reach to beautify and restore the area as it removes the stigma around homeless individuals.

The morning was a success beyond the garbage collected. Among the guests was staff from the Scranton Counseling Center. The Center, which normally provides classroom setting programs for guests, found a new opportunity to have conversation with guests while entering their typical environment. Guests who scarcely interact with each other, came together to find a common ground, and shared testimonies with one another.

The cleanup ended with a celebratory lunch donated from Sacco’s Pizzeria in Scranton, and Xavi’s Ice Cream truck showed up to give out free frozen treats to those involved. Keystone Mission is hopeful to recreate the day’s accomplishments again in the spring and make the Go Green Team a biannual activity for guests.