NYC kids unite with Fresh Air Fund host families yesterday in Ridgefield

Fifteen New York City children arrived in Ridgefield yesterday, geared up to spend one or two weeks with volunteer Fresh Air Fund host families in Easton, New Canaan, Ridgefield, Westport, Sherman, Weston, Wilton, Redding, and Southport.

The host families (complete with young fan clubs) gathered at St. Andrew's parking lot yesterday afternoon. Holding handmade welcome signs and balloons, the host families were filled with glee and anticipation as they awaited the arrival of the big white bus. 

The bus pulled into the lot at about 1:50 pm. Host families and Fresh Air fund kids greeted each other with joyful hugs and smiles. 

Volunteer host families share their summers for up to two weeks with Fresh Air children, ages six to 18, who leave behind the city streets to run barefoot in the grass or see the stars at night. Some children are leaving home for the first time, while others are returning to visit the same host families for consecutive summers.

The Fresh Air Fund is an independent, not-for-profit agency that has provided free summer experiences to more than 1.8 million New York City children from low-income communities since 1877. Each summer, close to 4,000 children visit volunteer host families in rural, suburban and small town communities across 13 states from Virginia to Maine and Canada through The Fresh Air Fund’s Volunteer Host Family Program.

To learn more about the Fresh Air Fund and to find out how you can be a host family, click here.

* Photos courtesy of Leslie Huinker.