While this is a little out of our usual realm of publication, I thought it was a good cause and the time frame for the need is closing quick.
In 2010, The Fresh Air Fund’s Volunteer Host Family program, called Friendly Town, gave close to 5,000 New York City boys and girls, ages six to 18, free summer experiences in the country and the suburbs. Volunteer host families shared their friendship and homes up to two weeks or more in 13 Northeastern states from Virginia to Maine and Canada.äóÂäóÂThanks to host families who open up their homes for a few weeks each summer, children growing up in New York Cityäó»s toughest neighborhoods have experienced the joys of Fresh Air experiences. äóÂäóÂ
äóÂäóÂFresh Air Fund Host FamiliesäóÂäó“æ
“äóÂäóÂFriendly Townhost families are volunteers who live in the suburbs or small town communities. Host familiesrange in size, ethnicity and background, but share the desire to open their hearts and homes to give city children an experience they willäóÂnever forget. Hosts say the Fresh Air experienceis as enriching for their own families, as it is for the inner-city children. There are no financial requirements for hosting a child. Volunteersmay request the age-group and gender of the Fresh Air youngster äóÂthey would like to host. Stories about real Fresh Air host families and their New York City visitors are just a click away!äóÂ
- If you or someone you know is able to host, please sign up now.
- Click here to learn more about becoming a host or call (800) 367-0003!äóÂäóÂ
äóÂFresh Air childrenare boys and girls, six to 18 years old, who live in New York City. Children on first-time visits are six to 12 years old and stay for either one or two weeks. Youngsters who are re-invited by the same family may continue with The Fund through age 18, and many enjoy longer summertime visits, year after year. A visit to the home of a warm and loving volunteer host family can make all the difference in the world to an inner-city child. All it takes to create lifelong memories is laughing in the sunshine and making new friends.äóÂäóÂThe majority of Fresh Air childrenare from low-income communities. These are often families without the resources to send their children on summer vacations. Most inner-city youngsters grow up in towering apartment buildings without large, open, outdoor play spaces. Concrete playgrounds cannot replace the freedom of running barefoot through the grass or riding bikes down country lanes.
äóÂFresh Air childrenare registered by more than 90 participating social service and community organizations located in disadvantaged neighborhoods in the five boroughs of New York City. These community-based agencies are in close contact with children in need of summer experiences in rural and suburban areas. Each agency is responsible for registering children for the program.äóÂäóÂäóÂWhat do Fresh Air children enjoy?
äó¢æææææææææææææææ Playing in the backyard
äó¢æææææææææææææææ Laughing in the sunshine
äó¢æææææææææææææææ Catching fireflies
äó¢æææææææææææææææ Riding bicycles
äó¢æææææææææææææææ Learning to swim
äó¢æææææææææææææææ Running barefoot through the grass
äó¢æææææææææææææææ Gazing at the stars on moonlit nights
äó¢æææææææææææææææ Building sandcastles
äó¢æææææææææææææææ Making new friends
äó¢æææææææææææææææ Simple pleasures of life away from the inner-city
If you can’t participate, donate.
You can give a child the experience of a lifetime with your gift to The Fresh Air Fund!
äóÂEvery year, The Fresh Air Fund gives thousands of inner-city children the priceless gift of fun äóñ and opens the door to a lifetime of opportunities. äóÂäóÂWhether it’s a two-week trip to visit a volunteer host family, or a fun-filled and educational stay at one of our camps, our programsmake for unforgettable memories äóñ and open a world of new friendships and fresh possibilities. We are a not-for-profit agency and depend on tax-deductible donations from people like you to keep our vital programs flourishing.äóÂäóÂ
THE FRESH AIR FUND, an independent, not-for-profit agency, has provided free summer vacations to more than 1.7 million New York City children from low-income communities since 1877. Nearly 10,000 New York City children enjoy free Fresh Air Fund programs annually. In 2010, close to 5,000 children visited volunteer host families in suburbs and small town communities across 13 states from Virginia to Maine and Canada. 3,000 children also attended five Fresh Air camps on a 2,300-acre site in Fishkill, New York. The Fundäó»s year-round camping program serves an additional 2,000 young people each year.