Fresh Air Fund host Amy Austin of Claremont, left, shows 10-year-old Heavenli Hunter, of Manhattan, how to get out of the canoe on Newell Pond in Alstead, N.H., on July 25, 2012. It was Heavenli’s very first ride in a canoe. (Valley News - Sarah Priestap) Copyright Valley News. May not be reprinted or used online without permission. Send requests to permission@vnews.com.
Fresh Air Fund host Amy Austin of Claremont, left, shows 10-year-old Heavenli Hunter, of Manhattan, how to get out of the canoe on Newell Pond in Alstead, N.H., on July 25, 2012. It was Heavenli’s very first ride in a canoe. (Valley News - Sarah Priestap) Copyright Valley News. May not be reprinted or used online without permission. Send requests to permission@vnews.com. Credit: Valley News file photograph

Lebanon — When Erica Brinton was a child in the 1950s, new playmates would appear at her Ludlow, Vt., home each summer. The visitors from New York City quickly learned to accompany Brinton and her siblings on rural adventures when they were shooed out of the house, and Brinton enjoyed getting to know the city kids.

“It was a very positive experience,” Brinton said.

More than 50 years later, Brinton is now the area coordinator for the Fresh Air Fund, the program that brought visitors to her home decades ago. Established in 1877, the program gives low-income children from New York City the chance to experience summer in a more rural setting. Children between the ages of 7 and 18 are matched with a host family, whom they stay with for a week or two over summer vacation.

“It’s a cultural exchange,” Brinton said. “It takes children out of the restrictions of the city and puts them in a totally different setting in the country.”

Some kids in the program have never been far from home, so spending a week in New Hampshire or Vermont might mean having their first encounter with farm animals, exploring local swimming holes or staying up late to watch the stars.

“It’s an experience they probably wouldn’t have in New York City,” Brinton said.

The Fresh Air Fund is currently looking for host families in the Upper Valley. Most people who chose to host have children of their own, and The Fresh Air Fund tries to match the the visiting child to the ages of the child in the host family. However, people without kids can host as well. The only requirement is that the host family have a bed (not necessarily a private bedroom) for the child to use during their stay. If a family connects well with the child they host, the child can be invited back to the same family year after year, establishing a strong bond.

Over the years, The Fresh Air Fund has provided 1.8 million kids with this unique summer vacation opportunity. Many of the children come from diverse backgrounds: some are first-generation immigrants and they are from a variety of family situations. The Fresh Air Fund transports the children to Lebanon, where host families meet them.

Editor’s note: For more information about hosting, contact Brinton at ericabrinton@gmail.com or 802-649-1714.