Can You Open Your Heart?

Today is the first day of Spring! But did you know that Gov. Tom Corbett has also proclaimed today, March 20, the “Fresh Air Fund Day” across Pennsylvania?

In 1877, our state was one of the first to begin hosting inner-city children from New York City through the Fresh Air Fund, a not-for-profit organization founded by Rev. William Parsons, a minister of a rural church in Sherman, Pa.

For the past 136 years, approximately 1.7 million underprivileged children ages 6 to 12 have been traveling to host families’ homes for one to two weeks during the summer.

The mission? To give them a glimpse of a future they can strive to obtain. To give them a break from the heat and noise of the city. It’s that simple.

The bad news…so few host families have signed up in recent years that the Fresh Air Fund fears it may have to shut down the program. This is a sad truth that we have the opportunity to change.

This quote has become somewhat of a mantra to me over the past couple of years:

“Unless someone like you cares a whole awful lot, nothing is going to get better. It’s not.”  ~ Dr. Seuss

In this day and age of self-focus, it’s all too easy to forget what’s truly important in life. We get so caught up in our daily schedules and personal interests that we rarely take pause to think of how we might use our time to help someone else.

Isn’t it easy to hope that someone else will do the good deeds? Let the missionaries spread the word of God. Let the non-profits help the needy.

But guess what…with so many people developing that attitude, there are less people stepping up to the plate.

Something has to change.

As the local chairperson for the Fresh Air Fund, I struggle with my feelings when I hear someone tell me they could never consider hosting an inner-city child.

I understand reasons like, “Both of us work, so it would be logistically challenging to have a child live with us for a week,” or “We don’t have the space.”

But when I hear things like, “How do you know they’re good kids?” or “What if they steal from us?” it breaks a little piece of my heart.

After for the past two summers, my family has learned so many things from our Fresh Air Fund child, Robert. He is a blessing to us.

The initial hesitations we had about this program have been forever washed away because we jumped into it with blind faith. Our hearts were opened, and Robert now holds a piece of them.

My wish is for more people to step away from their excuses and fears and think for one clear second about the impact they could have on a child’s life in 2012. Imagine giving just one week of yourself for a good purpose…for a child's future.

Unless someone like YOU cares a whole awful lot, nothing is going to get better. Can you open your heart?

Editor's Note: Visit www.freshair.org for more information or email Jenae at LVFreshAir@gmail.com. There is also a Fresh Air Fund .