Image Source: The Fresh Air Fund
I don’t typically do posts like this, but after hearing that one of NYC’s oldest non-profit organizations, the Fresh Air Fund, is in need of 1200 volunteer host families this summer, I thought I’d provide you some information in the event you or someone you know would like to participate. If you choose to, please let me know how the experience worked for you and your family, and the child. It would be great to share.
Since 1877, The Fresh Air Fund has provided free summer experiences to more than 1.7 million New York City children from disadvantaged communities. Each year, thousands of children visit volunteer host families outside of NYC. This year they are looking to place these children in 13 states (primarily east coast) and parts of Canada.
Children on first-time visits are 6 to 12 years old and stay for either one or two weeks. The transportation and health insurance (for children without insurance) is paid for by the Fresh Air Fund. They place children in rural and suburban areas to give them an opportunity to experience a world unlike their own, to learn that there are possibilities outside of what they know. This experience has changed the lives of many of these kids by offering them hope and ideas for a brighter future.
Check out the sites below, for more details. If you scroll down on this link, it contains YouTube short clips of stories told by the kids and the host families.
http://www.freshair.org/host-a-child
http://freshairfundhost.org/
http://www.freshair.org/host-a-child
http://freshairfundhost.org/
Twitter @freshairfund
CONTACTS:
CONTACTS:
Angela Pender-Fox, Friendly Town Director
Jenny Morgenthau, Executive Director
(212) 897-8898
Kate Brinkerhoff, Public Relations Director
(212) 897-8890
Sara Wilson, Outreach Coordinator
sara@freshair.org Have a fantastic and safe summer!
Ella Venezia
Thank you for sharing this non-profit's mission. I still remember a similar program I went through when I was in sixth grade, we went up to the mountains and stayed in cabins for a week. It's an experience I remember fondly and instilled a love of trying new things. Happy 1st day of summer!
ReplyDeleteAlvarado- Always great to hear from you. Thank you for sharing your fond memories of a similar childhood experience. My daughter is bummed that we don't live in the region where we can participate as a host family for Fresh AIr. We enjoyed watching the YouTube videos of their experiences.
ReplyDeleteThank you, and I hope you had a great 1st day of summer also. Here in Texas we've already experienced triple digit temps long before it was officially summer!
-Ella