If the cold and snowy weather has got you down, start thinking about the fun of summer and the opportunity of providing an unforgettable vacation to a child from a low-income neighborhood in New York City through The Fresh Air Fund.
The Fresh Air Fund is an independent, not-for-profit agency that has provided free summer vacations to more than 1.7 million children from low-income neighborhoods in New York City since 1877. Approximately 10,000 children enjoy free Fresh Air Fund programs each year.
Different bus trips have been planned throughout the summer of 2004 to transport children ages six to twelve to the suburbs and small communities across 13 Northeastern states from Virginia to Maine and Canada for a two-week stay.
After the children make their first visit, they may come back and stay for the whole summer, up until they turn 18.
Children are selected to participate in the program based on financial need. Children are from low-income families, with the majority receiving some form of public assistance. Fresh Air children are registered by 60 social service and community organizations in all five boroughs of New York City.
Volunteers in Northern Blair County are encouraged to become host families and open their hearts to a child from New York City.
Interested families simply need to fill out an application. A security clearance will be scheduled, an interviewing process will be carried out, and personal references will be checked.
There are no financial requirements for hosting a Fresh Air child, and host families are not paid.
The Fresh Air Fund also has a program for placing children who have special physical and emotional needs.
For more information on hosting a Fresh Air child or to learn more about other Fund programs, contact The Fresh Air Fund at: The Fresh Air Fund, 633 Third Avenue, 14th Floor, New York, New York 10017 or call 1-800-367-0003.
