Molly Farrell, of Fairfield, had known about The Fresh Air Fund for ages having read newspaper articles about the organization's Volunteer Host Family Program. “I have never really had much time to do community service,” said Molly, who is often busy as a full-time teacher and mother of two daughters, “but I really wanted to get involved with this program for a long time.”
The idea of participating in the program stayed with her and, finally, with the summer off as a teacher, she jumped in. “It’s a small thing that my family can do to help someone experience something that they normally wouldn't be able to,” she said.
In 2012, Molly and her family began hosting Rose, of Queens, and continue to welcome her back summer after summer.
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 neighborhoods since 1877. Each summer, close to 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.
The first summer that the Farrell family hosted Rose she was only six years old. Molly described the experience as “worthwhile, especially when you see the impact it has on the kids.” She said that it gave her daughters, Maggie and Grace, a little bit of perspective by opening their eyes to how other people live.
“They learned that not everyone is going to be just like them or have lives just like theirs,” said Molly, “and the experience means so much to all of them—Rose and the girls.” During her summers in Fairfield, Rose likes going to the beach and park, as well as playing on the Farrell's slip-and-slide in the backyard.
This past summer, Molly and her family threw a surprise birthday party for Rose because she didn't get to have one. “I invited a lot of my daughters’ friends and neighborhood families, we had pizza and a birthday cake, set up in the backyard…nothing too elaborate,” said Molly. At the end of the day, Rose came up to her and said that it was the best birthday party she had ever had.
“It was the best thing we did this past summer,” said Molly.
In recognition of The Fresh Air Fund’s 139th summer of bringing together New York City children and volunteer host families in Connecticut, Governor Dannel P. Malloy proclaimed March 20th “FRESH AIR FUND DAY” throughout the state. The Fresh Air Fund is always seeking host families to enable as many New York City children as possible to benefit from a summer experience outside of the city.
To learn more about how to become a host family in the Fairfield area, please call Amanda Hanson at 203-292-7131 or visit www.freshair.org.
Photo: From left to right, Rose celebrates her eighth birthday on the slip and slide with Maggie and Grace Farrell and neighborhood friends during her surprise birthday party.