Summer is here and that means enjoying the weather and outdoor fun. The Fresh Air Fund is in need of host families this season. Here's information sent from the fund.
Host families are volunteers who open their hearts and home to a child from the inner city to give them a Fresh Air experience that can change lives. The fund was established in 1877 and now each year nearly 5,000 New York City kids get to experience two weeks at no cost in the country, suburbs or Fresh Air camps.
Host families in the "Friendly Town" program have no financial requirement. They are paid to host a child, age 6 to 18, in their homes for up to two weeks. More than 65 percent of children are re-invited year after year. Families are sought of every size, ethnicity and background. You can request an age group and/or gender.
The majority of the children come from low-income homes without the resources to pay for a vacation or camp. The children benefitting from the Fresh Air Fund get to spend time away from towering apartment buildings, often without large outdoor open spaces to play in. They get to do things people elsewhere often take for granted.
Things like running barefoot in the grass, catching fireflies, riding bikes down country roads, playing in the backyard, learning to swim, gazing at the stars in a clear, moonlit sky, building sandcastles, laughing in the sun, goofing off, making friends, breathing some fresh air.
One child said "We made S'mores and hot dogs over the fire. I've never cooked outside before."
If you'd like to learn more or sign up, please call 1-800-367-0003 or visit: <http://freshairfundhost.com>.
