FAYETTEVILLE – On a recent episode of “Mike on the Mic: The FCADC Podcast Show,” Mike Ross speaks with Jen Hitz, president of Leg Up Farm, about the development of their Franklin County location. Leg Up Farm is a farm-based pediatric therapy center for children with special needs, originated in York County..
Hitz said the center was founded on a love of community, kids and horses. Leg Up offers physical, occupational and speech therapies, along with mental health services, nutrition counseling and equine-assisted activities.
Leg Up Farm’s new Franklin County location is being developed on land donated by a local family in Fayetteville, just beyond Penn National. The $5 million project is funded through community donations and grants from Franklin County and the State of Pennsylvania. The project is still in need of contributions both big and small. Ross and Hitz said community support is vital to the project’s growth.
In the podcast episode, Hitz emphasized the need for centralized therapy services that many families with special needs children face. Leg Up Farm offers a centralized location where families can easily access meaningful therapies for their children. With equal opportunity given to children with both Medicaid and commercial insurance services, Leg Up meets the need for accessible support services.
Hitz said “Leg Up Farm is for the whole family, not just for the child receiving treatment”. The farm offers engaging waiting areas and an interactive farm atmosphere with walking paths, a playground and horses for the whole family to enjoy, allowing operators to “give time back to families”.
Like the original location, Franklin County’s Leg Up Farm will be set up as a mock-Main Street, featuring therapy rooms as storefronts, and even a gas station, that help children build important life skills. The organization has partnered with local businesses such as Valley Agency Insurance, Franklin Logistics, Wellspan Health and Patriot Federal Credit Union to build an interactive and recognizable community.
The program offers Franklin County and the surrounding areas a different way to approach pediatric therapies – a one-stop, family-friendly therapy center focused around joy and fun. According to Hitz, the farm allows children to feel like “they aren’t even at therapy because they’re having so much fun.”
On June 14, the farm will hold an event titled Farm En Blanc, what Hitz calls, “our version of a gala”, where guests wear white in attendance at a dinner that supports the farm’s developing services. This year’s gala will be held on site at the new farm location.
Guests can eat, socialize and learn more about Leg Up Farm. All are welcome and can attend through purchase of individual tickets or group tables. The goal is to fill at least 20 tables to support the development of the Franklin County site.
Members of the community can also get involved in the Franklin County location of Leg Up Farm by visiting their website to explore donation, volunteering and guided tours of the program site. Along with meaningful and necessary pediatric therapies, Leg Up Farm offers an opportunity to connect with and invest in community.
