Carrie Valleau of Haddonfield had heard about The Fresh Air Fund before, but when she saw a flyer at the Haddonfield Public Library two years ago, she decided to get involved for the first time.
“When I saw that ad, I just thought it would be great for our family,” she said.
The Fresh Air Fund provides New York City children from low-income neighborhoods with an opportunity to visit rural and suburban communities during the summer. The children are able to spend a week with families from suburban towns across America, and Valleau thought that would be a perfect opportunity for her and her family to volunteer their time.
“I know Haddonfield is a great place and I knew that any child from a low-income neighborhood would be able to gain a lot from an experience here,” she said.
On July 29, the Valleau family welcomed Haroon back into their house. Haroon, who is 11 years old, is from Brooklyn and will be spending 10 days with the Valleau family during this visit.
“He was not very emotional and was very quiet,” Valleau said. “I don’t really know exactly what he thought about his visit last summer, but he’s coming back this summer and that means a lot.”
Valleau sees this experience as a way to not only give an inner-city child a glimpse into another world, but also as a way to show her children another world.
“I think the experience is just as important to my own children as it is for Haroon,” she said. “There is not a lot of diversity in Haddonfield, and it is very important for them to see what other cultures are like.”
During Haroon’s visit last summer, he visited Wedgewood Swim Club and Howell Living History Farm. The family will take Haroon to many of the same places during this visit, but he will also have the opportunity to enjoy a birthday party during this trip.
“The birthday party is going to be really awesome for him this summer,” Valleau said. “He’s going to have the opportunity to interact with more children, and hopefully that will show him even more of the town and the lifestyle here.”
Valleau also notes that some of the parents and other children at the party can learn from Haroon’s participation at the birthday party.
“I have heard from a lot of other families that they would like to join The Fresh Air Fun,” she said. “But I think a lot of them are still hesitant about allowing an inner-city child into their home. I’m hoping that once they see Haroon at the birthday party, they will see that he is just like any of the kids here, and maybe that will help get more people involved.”
For more information about The Fresh Air Fund, visit www.freshair.org.
