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 from low-income communities since 1877 and the Stephenson's from Syosset took part in the program this year.

Carolyn and J. Andrew Stephenson of Syosset participated in the Fresh Air Fund's Friendly Town Program. In this program, Fresh Air children, boys and girls from 6 to 18 years old, visit over 300 Fresh Air Friendly Towns in the summer. Fresh Air children on first-time visits to Friendly Town host families are 6 to 12 years old and stay for two weeks. The program also has a special one-week option for New York City families who would like to host children on their summer vacations in the country. Over 65 percent of all children are reinvited to stay with host families, year after year. Reinvited youngsters may continue with the Fund through age 18, and many spend the entire summer in the country. Fresh Air children and volunteer families often form bonds of friendship that last a lifetime.

Fatoumata Toure, an 8-year-old girl from the Bronx, stayed with the Stephensons for the second consecutive summer. Fatoumata, who speaks both English and French, enjoyed her vacation with Carolyn, J. Andrew and their three children. She was with the family for nine days.

Nearly 10,000 New York City children enjoy free Fresh Air Fund programs annually. In 2005, close to 5,000 children visited volunteer host families in suburbs and small town communities across 13 states from Virginia to Maine and Canada; 3,000 children also attended five Fresh Air camps on a 2,300-acre site in Fishkill, NY. The Fund's year-round camping program serves an additional 2,000 young people each year.

Fresh Air Fund volunteer host families open their homes to inner-city children for two weeks or more in the summertime. Each Friendly Town community is supervised by a committee of volunteers. Committee members select host families after reviewing their applications, visiting them in their homes and checking their personal references.

There are no financial requirements for hosting a Fresh Air child. Most hosts simply want to share their homes with inner-city youngsters. Host families are not paid. The Fund has a program for placing children who have special physical or emotional needs.

Children are selected to participate in The Fresh Air Fund Friendly Town program based on financial need. Children are from low-income communities, with the majority receiving some form of public assistance. Fresh Air youngsters are registered by more than 60 social service and community organizations in all five boroughs of New York City.

For more information, visit www.freshair.org or call 1-800-367-0003.