Fresh Air Heroes

To the Editor:

Each year, families and individuals in the Newtown area make summer special for New York City children as volunteers for The Fresh Air Fund. As National Volunteer Week approaches, I would like to give my deepest thanks to our Fresh Air heroes: dedicated hosts, volunteers, and supporters. Year after year, they demonstrate their compassion and concern for the well-being of others by their commitment to New York City children from low-income neighborhoods.

Our caring Fresh Air host families open their homes and share the everyday joys of summertime with their Fresh Air guests. Our local volunteer leaders — many of whom are also hosts — give by serving on our local Friendly Town Committee, planning summer activities, raising funds for special events, publicizing the program and interviewing prospective host families. I would also like to thank all individuals and businesses which have generously given their time and resources to make the Friendly Town Program throughout the Newtown area a great success each summer.

The theme of this year’s National Volunteer Week is “Volunteers Inspire by Example.” Our volunteers are truly inspirational.

The Fresh Air Fund, an independent, not-for-profit agency, has provided free summer vacations to more than 1.7 million New York City children since 1877. For more information on how you can help to continue this wonderful tradition of volunteering, please call Angel Fredricks at 790-7103 or The Fresh Air Fund at 800-367-0003.

Sincerely,

Jenny Morgenthau

Executive Director

633 Third Avenue, New York, NY 10017                      April 7, 2005