Arlington, Thinking About Hosting a Fresh Air Child?

By CHARLENE ARSENAULT (Patch Staff)

Fresh Air Fund children are boys and girls, ages six to 18, who live in New York City. The majority are from low-income communities. They typically live in apartment buildings, and are more familiar with busy city blocks than quiet country roads, but the kids who participate in the Host Family program are like any other – they want to play, laugh, make new friends, and enjoy the simple pleasures of life away from the city.

There is no such thing as a “typical” host family. Host families live in the suburbs, small towns, and rural areas, according to the Fresh Air Fund website. They have different types of homes and neighborhoods. Different financial profiles. Some have children of their own, while others don’t.

The Fresh Air Fund, an independent, not-for-profit agency, has provided free summer experiences to more than 1.8 million New York City children from low-income communities since 1877. The Fresh Air Fund is currently seeking more families to give inner-city children a Fresh Air experience this summer.

Host families open their homes to children who might not otherwise be able to enjoy a summer away from New York City. Fresh Air children experience simple pleasures like running barefoot through the grass, swimming in a cool lake, and gazing at star-filled skies. Through the eyes of Fresh Air children, families often rediscover the beauty of their own communities.

For more information on how you can make summer special for a Fresh Air child, contact Lisa Sajedi at 978-760-0006 or visit The Fresh Air Fund atwww.freshair.org.

Photo Credit: Fresh Air Fund