For a city child, first glimpse of the ocean
Fresh Air Fund family introduces youth to the Shore
BY CHRISTINE VARNO
Staff Writer

LONG BRANCH - - What began as an opportunity for an inner-city child to visit the Jersey Shore for the first time, became what a Long Branch couple describe as the most rewarding experience of a lifetime.

For one week last summer, Kathi and Bruce Owens opened their Long Branch home to 12-year-old Jeffrey, from the Bronx, N.Y., as part of the Fresh Air Fund's Friendly Town program.

"Jeffrey had never seen the ocean before," said Kathi in an interview last week. "I really wanted to open an opportunity for a child to come here, run around, ride a bike and breathe the fresh air.

"Watching Jeffrey's face when he saw the ocean, that is what made it all worth it," she said.

The Fresh Air Fund (FAF) program places New York City children in low-income neighborhoods with host families in suburban and rural communities for a week to experience summer pastimes, Kathi explained.

"We heard about the program from a neighbor," Kathi said. "The main reason we decided to do it is because our children are grown up and we have a lot to offer.

Through the Fresh Air Fund's Friendly Town program, Jeffrey, 12, of the Bronx, visited the Long Branch shore for his first time and climbed trees while staying with host family Kathi and Bruce Owens.

"We have a boat and we live by the shore. So many kids don't have the opportunity to go on a vacation," she said, adding, "We wanted to offer that to someone."

Last summer, Kathi and Bruce took a week vacation from work to give Jeffrey a vacation that he may have otherwise never have experienced.

"We really kept him busy," she said. "My favorite was when we took him to the water park. He wanted me to go on all the rides with him. I got a chance to feel like a kid again."

The Owenses also took Jeffrey boating, fishing, swimming and they even met up with other host families in the area so Jeffrey would have children his age to play with.

"He liked fishing the best," she said. "It is something so simple, but he just fell in love with it.

"He even caught a fish. He was afraid of it. We helped him with it and eventually he touched it."

"He was just so happy with everything we did," she continued, adding, "The most memorable thing about his visit, though, is his smile.

"Seeing this little boy smile from ear to ear is what I remember."

The Fresh Air Fund is a non-profit agency that has provided free summer vacations to more than 1.7 million young New Yorkers. In 2006, close to 5,000 children visited volunteer families in communities across 13 northeastern states and Canada.

Children are selected to participate in the program based on financial need, and host families volunteer their time and open their homes to share with the children.

Kathi explained that she and her husband were interviewed before being selected as a family. Once selected, the host family is asked to pick the gender and age of the child they agree to host.

Host families are also required to fill out a questionnaire that includes questions about whether a family has any other children living in their home or if they have a pool.

The children participating in the program are able to review the questionnaires and pick which host family they want to stay with.

"I asked [FAF] what child does everybody want," Kathi said, "and they told me a girl around 6 or 7 years old.

"I asked what child is the hardest to place and they said usually a 12-year-old boy. So, that's what I asked for."

The Owenses were paired with Jeffrey and Kathi said she couldn't have been happier.

"The first night he was here, he was very timid and quiet," Kathi said, adding, "But you have to realize he is a kid in a strange home. By the end [of the visit], he wasn't shy at all anymore.

"We really formed a bond with him."

On Jeffrey's last day in Long Branch, Bruce had to work, Kathi said.

"[Bruce] had to leave at 6:30 a.m. and so Jeffrey set his alarm and woke up and sat at the window waving. He just wanted to say good-bye. That is the kind of kid he is.

"He was just so grateful for everything," she said.

Throughout the year, Kathi said that she and Bruce have kept in contact with Jeffrey, speaking to him at least once a week.

"He calls to talk about school or just his life," she said.

Soon, the Owenses will be seeing Jeffrey again.

"We invited him to come again this summer," she said. We are so excited and he is so excited.

"This time, he may bring his little sister with him. That is up to him. He may just want to be the only one spoiled for a week," she said.

To volunteer as a host family, or to learn more about the program, call (212) 897-8900 or visit www.freshair.org.