Dan's Papers - August 29, 2008 - Taking to the Air, Thanks to the Fresh Air Fund

Summers in the Hamptons are known for many things - beautiful beaches, great nightlife and of course, the fresh air. That's exactly why the Fresh Air Fund has been sending inner city children to anti-urban vacation spots around the country, the Hamptons being one of them.

Since 1877, the Fresh Air Fund, a non-profit organization, has provided summer vacations for more than 1.7 million New York City children, ages six to 18, from underprivileged communities. Each year, thousands of children visit volunteer host families in 13 states and Canada. Eagerly waiting for the children's drop off bus to arrive, Laura Alessandrini, the program's local representative, admits that of the thousands of children traveling to their host families, only three got off at the Southampton stop. "I'm disappointed with Southampton," Alessandrini admitted, "The program is about opening up your heart and your home. What could you want more than that?" Alessandrini, a member of the organization for 7 years, is taking two children into her home, one that has befriended her son after he visited her family last summer. "People have the misconception that you have to entertain the children," she said. "Some of these kids have never been on a boat, never even seen the ocean. They just want to be with your family and have a good time." Alessandrini said that she loves the Fresh Air Fund because it "gives kids the opportunities that they wouldn't normally have."

And the Fresh Air Fund children are not the only ones benefiting from the one to two-week visit. Eunice Burnett, a summer Southampton resident for 12 years, is one of the three host families participating in the program. A mother of three, Burnett says that, "It's so nice for my little boy to have someone to play with." Burnett is taking a six-year-old boy named John into her home for the week. "The Fresh Air Fund is a way to make contact with people you wouldn't normally meet." As for the hosting assignment and process, Burnett said, "It's so easy. They come to your house and give you a quick interview. They also give you a parent contact. I e-mailed John's mom in the weeks leading up to his visit."

If the host families are excited for their guests, then the children are ecstatic. Thirteen-year-old Shane Martin, a Bronx native, has returned to the Alessandrini family for his second summer stay. Martin, who loves going to the beach during his Hamptons visit, said, "You get to hang out with other families and see what you have in common with each other."

While many people donate to the Fresh Air Fund, it is the host volunteers that directly touch the children's lives. Donations pay for the busing that carries the children to their relaxing destinations.

Some hosts, like Edward Nahem, address the two major factors that keep the fund in business by taking in children and donating money. Nahem hosted a movie screening this past Sunday, an event that drew host families, Fresh Air Fund children and celebrities alike. Lewis, a high school student from the Bronx who has stayed with Nahem for the past 5 years, happily took a picture next to Russell Simmons, a friend of Nahem's and supporter of the fund. Lewis, a high school student from the Bronx, said that Nahem is like family. In fact, the event felt more like a communal, family reunion than a fundraiser. Nahem spoke of how Lewis has integrated into his life and become part of the family. "It's such a great pleasure. I just wish that people would open their homes, then the children will open their hearts."

Kate Brinkerhoff, the public relations director for the fund, said that, "over 65% of the children are invited back each summer for a visit."

Jane Viau, a high school teacher in Harlem, has taken in two children for the past five years. Wendy and Samantha, from Brooklyn and the Bronx, talk about their relationships with the Viau family. "They send us packages on Christmas and for our birthdays." She added that, unlike in the city, she has experienced here on the East End "big, nice houses like this."

The Fresh Air Fund gives children a short vacation from a hot summer in the city that perhaps changes their lives. And that's a two-way street for the host families. More than one host said, "We get more than we give."

For more information or if you are interested in hosting a child next summer, go to www.freshair.org.