Country folk sometimes take their surroundings for granted: the smell of fresh cut hay, early morning sunrises over rolling fields, the splash and boom of surf on a rocky shore, and the stars speckled across the night sky.

“But city kids never get to see the stars,” Fresh Air Fund Executive Director Jenny Morgenthou said from her office in New York.

The Fresh Air Fund, based in the heart of New York City, is a nonprofit founded in 1877 that takes thousands of children from underprivileged inner city neighborhoods and gives them the experience of country life for a few weeks each summer.

The organization started when Rev. Willard Parsons asked his congregation for volunteers to provide country vacations for children living in low income New York City tenements back in 1877.

Today, children visit volunteer host families in 13 states and Canada during the summer months.

Wiscasset resident Laura Downing and her 7-year-old daughter Ellery met a bus at Mt. Ararat High School in Topsham to pick up 8-year-old Amina. The young girl was all smiles, as was her friend Ellery, when she stepped down from the bus.

She traveled from her home in the Bronx, along with many other New York City children, to spend two weeks in Maine.

“It's an opportunity for kids to be kids and play in a safe environment,” Morgenthou said. “It's a great learning experience.”

The organization takes precautions to place children with appropriate host families. Volunteer hosts must have three references from a professional and/or official capacity. Morgenthou said to host a child, volunteer family members need to be open-minded, flexible and caring.

While children often return to visit the same families, the organization is still seeking additional volunteer hosts. Last year, 20 children visited families in the Wiscasset area.

This summer is Amina's third year visiting the Downings. 

“We're going to do the rec camp at the Community Center, we'll visit Morris Farm,” Laura Downing said, beginning to list off just some of the activities planned. 

“To see the baby cows,” Ellery said, cutting in. “They're the best!”

Laura said they would probably go “geo-caching,” where people use GPS devices to play a mapping treasure hunt game. 

On mention of the beach, Ellery added, “that's the best part.” She was also excited to play outside, chase chickens and show the family bunny to her New York friend.

The small group of children, ages 6-18, on the bus from New York will spend the next couple of weeks with host families in Bath, Topsham, Woolwich and Wiscasset. In addition to summer days in Maine and other states, the organization offers programs at five overnight camps just north of the city. 

According to information on their website, more than 9,000 children participate in Fresh Air Fund programs each year, chosen based on financial need from more than 90 social service agencies throughout the five boroughs of New York.

It costs more than $900 to send a child with a host family, covering travel, insurance and medical expenses. More than 75 percent of the costs for their programs are paid for through individual donations. 

For more information about the Fresh Air Fund, visit: www.freshair.org.