Fresh Air for Christmas

One part of growing up I always looked forward to, and still now, of course, were vacations or holidays, time away from my everyday environment to experience something new.

I was one of the lucky ones who went away nearly every year - sometimes across the country, sometimes across the ocean, sometimes just camping a few hours away. But what was important about it was the time to discover something about the world and about myself. These were, and continue to be, times of growth.

There are many people who grow up not so lucky. Maybe they don't have the money or the right situations in their lives to be able to go away. Going away from the place you were born and where you spend your days, especially as a child, is an essential experience.

And there is actually a group who help make that a possibility for kids who can't put together a trip for themselves. It's called the Fresh Air Fund, a group based in New York City which has been around for more than 230 years. They send kids on camping trips or to stay with host families.
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The kids are from New York City. They range in age from 6-18. This sort of thing lets them forget about the chaos of the city for a while. One of them said: "In the city, you have to think about what is going to happen around the next street corner. In the woods, you walk with a group of friends and counselors. You don't even think about city problems."
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Need a feel-good project for the new year? They're looking for hosts, and of course, donations. Though, hosting sounds quite interesting if you ask me. If I lived stateside and had my own place, I would probably do it. I think you can take a lot away from an experience like that - maybe even as much as the kids do.
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