Rehoboth Residents Give New York City Child Fresh Air

As a child, Kara Svendsen’s parents were volunteer hosts in The Fresh Air Fund’s Friendly Towns Program. Kara had many great memories from her own childhood with her Fresh Air siblings and wanted to give her daughter, Maura, the same experience. In July of 2014, Kara and her husband Tim Tehan, of Rehoboth, opened their heart and their home to Abigail, of Brooklyn, for a week. Now Abigail’s visit is a tradition Kara, Tim, Maura, and Abigail look forward to all year.

Abigail’s trips to Rehoboth are filled with hours playing on the beach and exploring local attractions. Last summer during her visit Kara and the family went to a concert, rode the carousel at the park and visited the science museum. Kara recounts it’s the simple things that Abigail appreciates the most. “Abigail loves riding on Maura’s Power Wheels SUV or baking muffins or eating a Popsicle,” Kara said. “She is always up for anything. I could say ‘Today we’re going swimming’ and she would have a big grin on her face and be ready to go.”

Abigail and Maura get along very well. Abigail is very good at sharing and compromising with Maura. “As soon as they would wake up in the morning, the girls would start playing together. Whether it was putting on a play or running around outside, they would always be smiling and laughing together,” Kara recounts.

“It’s an amazing experience. We appreciate our time with Abigail and she appreciates her time with us. Hosting is only a week, if you have time in the summer, there is no reason not to do it,” Kara shares. “I wish more people in our community would get involved. It really is fun and easy. It’s a great experience for everyone involved.”

The Fresh Air Fund is always seeking host families to enable as many New York City children as possible to benefit from a summer experience outside of the city. To learn more about how to become a host family in the Seekonk area, please call Sarah Bates at 401-226-6764 or visit www.freshair.org

Rehoboth residents, the Svendsen-Tehan family, spent their second summer with 8-year old Abigail this past year through The Fresh Air Fund’s Friendly Towns Program. Since 1877, The Fresh Air Fund, an independent, not-for-profit agency, has provided free, enriching summer experiences and academic programs for more than 1.8 million children from underserved New York City neighborhoods. Each summer, nearly 4,000 children visit volunteer host families in rural, suburban, and small town communities across the East Coast and Ontario, Canada. Through their story and with your help, we hope to recruit more dedicated volunteers and hosts for next summer. Please let me know if you have any questions. Additionally, you can find more information about The Fresh Air Fund online at www.freshair.org.