50 for 50 Day 33: Fresh Air Fund

It’s my 50th Birthday Celebration, Day 33. Maybe I’ll actually make it to the end!

The background, for those of you who have been trapped behind bars for the past month: because I feel so blessed and have pretty much everything I could ever need, I am asking people to get involved with charities, if they are so inspired, in lieu of any fabulous birthday presents you were planning on sending me (or not).

I am featuring a different charity every day for 50 days leading up to my 50th birthday to give you plenty of chances to get involved. I started on May 18. I wanted to give a voice to different good works around the globe. If you ARE inspired to take action, please leave me a comment and let me know that you did. This is all I want for my birthday – to spread some love and kindness. Thank you, my dear friends.

Today’s organization, The Fresh Air Fund, is in honor of my mom. She grew up during the Great Depression. Like many families of the time, her folks just barely got by. Her mom worked picking rotten lemons out of the crates at the packing house, while her dad was unemployed. They shared a big house with no running water with a bunch of extended family members.

Of course there was no money for summer camp. But someone gave my mom a camp scholarship, and 75 years later, she still gives thanks for that kindness.

The Fresh Air Fund helps kids like my mom.

From their website:
Since 1877, The Fresh Air Fund, a not-for-profit agency, has provided free summer experiences in the country to more than 1.7 million New York City children from disadvantaged communities. Each year, thousands of children visit volunteer host families in 13 states and Canada through the Friendly Town Program or attend Fresh Air Fund camps.

You can donate here. They are also looking for volunteers on the east coast of the US and Canada.

This is not kids at camp. These are my great-nephews at Thanksgiving, but hey, they’re kids, and they’re having fun, which is the whole idea, right?

Previously featured organizations:
Electronic Frontier Foundation
Arghand
Impact Personal Safety
Kristin Brooks Hope Center
Injured Marine Semper Fi Fund
Light Up the World Foundation
Planned Parenthood
Doctors Without Borders
Heifer International
Team Rubicon
Kiva
The Carter Center
Bikes Not Bombs
Friends of Maddie
ProPublica
Surfrider Foundation
Livestrong
United Through Reading
Operation Shower
The Liz Logelin Foundation
KidSave
American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals
Kids Vs Global Warming
Help a Mother Out
Direct Relief International
WriteGirl
Accelerated Cure for Multiple Sclerosis
Women for Women
Epic Change
Amnesty International