Waterford Families Offer Fun In The Fresh Air

Last Friday, nine-year-old Aaron Flermius stepped off a bus in Norwich to spend a week in Waterford with a family he'd never met before. When Aaron boards the bus back to the Bronx today, he'll be taking home a scrapbook full of memories of summer fun with his new friend, 10-year-old Sam Menders.

This is Aaron's second time participating in the Fresh Air Fund and the Menders families' first experience as a host family.  

"We thought it would be something fun and nice to do, and it would give [Sam] someone to play with," said Sam's mom, Tracey Menders. 

The Menders are one of three families in Waterford who welcomed children from the inner city into their homes this past week. Two of the families have served as host families before.  

For more than a century, the nonprofit Fresh Air Fund has depended on host families to give underprivileged children from New York City a chance to experience the beaches, forests, and parks that we take for granted. Most of the kids participating in Fresh Air are between the ages of 6 and 12, but those who are making return trips to families that have hosted them before can stay with the program until they are 18 if they are invited back.

Tracey Menders said she and her husband Steve had been considering taking in foster children. She thought the Fresh Air Fund would be a good way for them to test-drive the experience for a week. 

The Menders packed a boatload of fun into the one week that Aaron stayed with them. They went to Six-Flags water park, to the beach, to the movies to see Monsters University, to Waterford Speedbowl, to a family picnic, and as of Wednesday, had plans to see fireworks and go crabbing. Of all the things they did, Aaron said the family picnic was his favorite day. 

"We did a lot in a week," said Tracey Menders. 

Ironically, getting the kids out into the fresh air took some doing, she said. Left to their own devices, both the boys would happily have stayed inside and played videogames all day.

So how did Aaron's experience in Waterford compare to his trip last year to Pennsylvania?

"It's much funner than in Pennsylvania," Aaron said. "There was no kid there." 

A second Fresh Air Fun trip is scheduled for August 7-August 19. If you are interested in hosting, or would like more information, contact Sharyn Benjamin. @ swtstfbysharyn@sbcglobal.net or 860-861-8208.