Fresh Air Fund and OneSight gives kids new vision

Here's a nice story. I heard recently about a US-based charity called The Fresh Air Fund which gives inner-city kids a break from air pollution and endless concrete by sending them out to the countryside to special camps and host families. All worthwhile in its own right, all kids need the opportunity to run amok in open spaces and experience farm animals somewhere other than in the chill section of the supermarket. Plus these are kids for whom the word 'holiday' doesn't mean much other than having to hang out at home because school is closed. They're not part of the masses priveleged enough to expect a couple of weeks at the beach every summer and perhaps a spot of skiiing in the winter. These are kids who find it hard to scrape up enough for a subway ride, let alone a plane or bus ticket.

Anyway, in addition to providing holiday memories for kids who otherwise wouldn't get out of the city, the charity has teamed up with OneSight to send travelling optical clinics out to the Fresh Air camps to screen kids for vision problems, providing free eye exams and glasses for those who need them.

Anyone with a child who has looked upon the world with a new wonder after being given their first set of glasses will know why this is such a worthwhile cause. Check it out here.