He loves to go out, listen to music, read books, and visit friends. There are no financial requirements for hosting a Fresh Air child and people don't have to have children to be considered hosts. Hosts are selected by volunteer Ithaca committee members who review applications, visit homes of prospective families, and check personal references. First, everyone living at the home is interviewed and then the host family provides three references which are checked by Ithaca's FAF committee members. Finally, a description of the family and the age and sex of the child they would like to sponsor is sent to the Fresh Air Fund headquarters in New York City to be matched with a child.
Every child is given a physical exam before being matched, and then the match is made.
Divan is a part of our family now and comes to visit whenever he is not in school. Paul says that he and his family learned a great deal about inner city life from Divan. Divan taught them how to jump rope and do the double dutch as well as the meanings of numerous city slang words that they never would have learned otherwise. This opportunity to learn new things is one of the main reasons why Paul decided to become a chairman. He really enjoys interacting with children and learning about other cultures, especially inner-city life.