Open your Heart and Home to a Fresh Air child

Make this Valentine’s Day extra special for your family and give them the gift of friendship with a Fresh Air child! Each summer, over 4,000 inner-city children visit suburban, rural and small town communities across 13 states from Virginia to Maine and Canada through The Fresh Air Fund’s Volunteer Host Family Program.  This summer, join volunteer host families in the Athol area who open their hearts and homes to New York City children.

“We love sharing the wonders of lightening bugs, playing in the backyard, and swimming with our Fresh Air friend!” says Liz, a Fresh Air host.

Fresh Air children are boys and girls, from 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 one or two weeks. Children who are re-invited by host families may continue with The Fresh Air Fund through age 18 and can enjoy extended trips. Families find hosting so rewarding that more than 65 percent of all Fresh Air children are invited to visit the same host families year after year. Through the eyes of Fresh Air children, families often rediscover the beauty of their own communities.

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. For more information on hosting a Fresh Air child this summer, please contact Emily Olsen at 212-897-8889 or visit The Fresh Air Fund online at www.freshair.org.

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