Making a Difference: the Fresh Air Fund

Nature introduces children to the idea….
they are not alone in the world.
-Edward Hoffman

The Fresh Air Fund is looking for host families for next summer.

Host families range in size, ethnicity and background, but share the desire to open their hearts and homes to give city children an experience they will never forget. Hosts say the Fresh Air experience is as enriching for their own families, as it is for the inner-city children. There are no financial requirements for hosting a child. Volunteers may request the age-group and gender of the Fresh Air youngster they would like to host.

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Fresh Air children are boys and girls, six to 18 years old, who live in New York City. Children on first-time visits are six to 12 years old and stay for either one or two weeks. Youngsters who are re-invited by the same family may continue with The Fund through age 18, and many enjoy longer summertime visits, year after year. A visit to the home of a warm and loving volunteer host family can make all the difference in the world to an inner-city child. All it takes to create lifelong memories is laughing in the sunshine and making new friends.

The majority of Fresh Air children are from low-income communities. These are often families without the resources to send their children on summer vacations. Most inner-city youngsters grow up in towering apartment buildings without large, open, outdoor play spaces. Concrete playgrounds cannot replace the freedom of running barefoot through the grass or riding bikes down country lanes.

What a wonderful way to make an impact on a child’s life.

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A recent survey suggests that when kids have more opportunities for meaningful experiences outdoors, they become more likely to value nature, engage with it, and feel empowered to do something about it.

There are plenty of studies pointing to the health benefits of nature time and outdoor play. So much so, that doctors are writing nature prescriptions.

But what keeps popping up in my brain is:

What a wonderful way to enrich the life of your own child.

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If you think you might be able to be a host family next summer, click here for more deets.

If you know someone else who might be a good fit, tell them about the Fresh Air Fund website.

Or make a donation.

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Now watch this video and tell me if I’m the only sap who teared up a little bit. Go ahead, I can take it.

And if you’ve had any experience with the Fresh Air Fund I would love to hear about it!