Summer Fun for Needy Children: Get Involved and Change the Lives of Children Today

The time is NOW! Yes, many people are struggling with today’s economy, but one way to feel fulfilled is to give a piece of yourself and your family to a child that has none.  You don’t have to have a million dollars to give a child a fun summer.  Just being there, playing ball, swimming or any other family activity is what many children crave.

If you or someone you know is able to host, please sign up now. In 2010, The Fresh Air Fund’s Volunteer Host Family program, called Friendly Town, gave close to 5,000 New York City boys and girls, ages six to 18, free summer experiences in the country and the suburbs. Volunteer host families shared their friendship and homes up to two weeks or more in 13 Northeastern states from Virginia to Maine and Canada.

Thanks to host families who open up their homes for a few weeks each summer, children growing up in New York City’s toughest neighborhoods have experienced the joys of Fresh Air experiences.

More than 65% of all children are reinvited to stay with their host family, year after year.

“It is rewarding to see the smile on our Fresh Air child’s face as she enjoys the simple things we take for granted…”

Friendly Town host families are volunteers who live in the suburbs or small town communities. 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. Stories about real Fresh Air host families and their New York City visitors are just a click away!

Click here to learn more about becoming a host or call (800) 367-0003!

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.
Fresh Air children are registered by more than 90 participating social service and community organizations located in disadvantaged neighborhoods in the five boroughs of New York City. These community-based agencies are in close contact with children in need of summer experiences in rural and suburban areas. Each agency is responsible for registering children for the program.
What do Fresh Air children enjoy?

• Playing in the backyard

• Laughing in the sunshine
• Catching fireflies
• Riding bicycles
• Learning to swim
• Running barefoot through the grass
• Gazing at the stars on moonlit nights
• Building sandcastles
• Making new friends
• Simple pleasures of life away from the inner-city

The Fresh Air Fund at the Five Boro Bike Tour
Join The Fresh Air Fund at the Five Boro Bike Tour on May 1st! The largest recreational cycling event in America, the TD Bank Five Boro Bike Tour, leads bikers on a 42-mile fun course through the city and you can be a part of it! The Fund provides guaranteed entry into the event in exchange for a fundraising minimum.

What better way to bike through an amazing route while knowing that the money you raise will help children from low-income communities who live throughout the city. Along the way, bikers will enjoy entertainment, rider photos, bike repair, medical support and the company of thousands of well-wishers!

Click here for more information about the race! If you have questions or are interested in participating, please call Kate Brinkerhoff at (212) 897-8890 or email kbrinkerhoff@freshair.org.

Sue Scheff: Animal Pantry Founder, Zach - Turns 10 Years-old

Zach may only be 10, but he is already looking into the future of Central Florida Animal Pantry. The Pantry will celebrate it's one year anniversary in a few weeks.

Zach wanted to take a moment to remind everyone there are still many pets that need good homes, food and people to love them! As we move into our second year, we will continue to grow and work towards our goals. We appreciate each of you and the support you have given us over the past year. We hope you will continue to "Help families keep their pets!"

Zach's birthday wish:
(other than video games)

• Keep working towards the Sanctuary. Larger location for the Pantry.
• A truck is desperately needed to pick up food from locations. We are missing out on great opportunities because we don't have a truck!

We wish you a great day!

Sincerely,

Thank you from CFAP
Central Florida Animal Pantry

Sue Scheff: Winter Games 2010 and Youth Sports this Spring

As many parents in the Northeast are shoveling their way through heavy drifts of snow, the Southern states, although chilly, are gearing up for their spring sport season with their children.

As the Winter Games opened this week, the entire family can join and watch the athletes compete against countries worldwide. Does your child have an athletic dream?

VolunteerSpot's  free and easy online coordination tool saves time and simplifies parent participation in youth sports. They have a new eBook with sample online sign up sheets to give parents ideas of all the ways they can ask for (and get) help with their team activities.

Whether it's Little League, soccer, swimming, softball, lacrosse, or all of the above, spring is an exciting time for children participating in youth sports. For parents, though, their busy schedules are about to get a whole lot busier! Beyond spending joyful hours cheering on the sidelines, parents provide the backbone for any successful youth sports program by participating as coaches, referees, groundskeepers, timers, bringing snacks, driving carpools, and much more.

Parent leaders that use VolunteerSpot reduce their planning and coordinating time by several hours a week and eliminate late-night reply-all emails, last-minute phone tag and hard-to-read clipboard sign up sheets. Team parents appreciate how easy it is to sign up and pick their days to help, with a few clicks from an email or through a link on the team website. VolunteerSpot then sends automated email reminders to help everyone remember and keep their commitments.

Here are a few ways parents are using VolunteerSpot to save time and power team and league activities:

• Snack schedule sign up sheets
• Concessions stand volunteer scheduling
• Tournament scheduling (officials, linesmen, score keepers, awards, setup/cleanup)
• Assistant coaches, practice helpers, and field maintenance
• Swim meet volunteer scheduling
• Fundraisers like carwashes, carnivals, fun runs, and picnics

The time is now to start planning your spring and summer activities, let VolunteerSpot help you be ready to spring into your children's sports! Think warm!

Read more on Examiner.

Sue Scheff: Care Calendar - Learning to Help Those in Need

Going through difficult times can be stressful and overwhelming, especially if you are raising children. Whether a crisis hits your family or you are in need of assistance with elderly people, there is an organization that reaches out and give you inspiration to receive a helping hand.

Lotsa Helping Hands was created to support family caregivers and volunteers by empowering their circles of community who are eager to help those in need. Many people don't realize there are many others in their community that are there for them if they are struggling.

Lotsa Helping Hand's mission is to provide the communication resources facilitating a world where caregivers feel empowered to ask for help, and in so doing, improve their own health and quality-of-life; volunteers can become part of the solution when family, friends, neighbors or colleagues are in need of help, and community becomes a recognized way to find meaning in both giving and receiving.

Many have experienced the crisis of a friend or loved that was suddenly not able to provide for their family or themselves. Perhaps it's an illness or post rehabilitation that requires weeks or months of bed rest.

Possibly it's a complicated pregnancy or a cancer diagnosis requiring frequent chemotherapy appointments. In many instances of acute medical crisis or long-term family caregiving, those affected must also cope with quickly finding support for meal preparation, grocery shopping, transportation for themselves and their dependent family members.

It is often difficult for patients and family caregivers to ask for help. And if help is offered, managing that help can be a significant part-time job: coordinating family, friends, neighbors, colleagues, and church or synagogue members who do not all know each other can be complex and time-consuming, with endless phone tag, too much food delivered, and forgotten commitments.

Lotsa Helping Hands community helps build emotional and spiritual support as you face the many issues surrounding everyday caregiving. They offer assistance for military families, elderly, schools, parenting, religious groups and more.


Inspired by a true story in Guideposts Magazine, Care Calendar, Lotsa Helping Hands is helping thousands of families!

Pay it forward, tell a friend in need.

Read more on Examiner.