By Matthew Sockol
Staff Writer
MILLSTONE – After hosting a child who came to them through the Fresh Air Fund in New York City, a Millstone Township couple is encouraging other residents to join them in volunteering to serve as host families.
During the summer of 2016, James and Susan Nowachek participated in the Fresh Air Fund’s Friendly Towns Program and hosted Natalie, 9, from the Bronx, N.Y. (the Fresh Air Fund does not release the last names of the children it serves).
A picture the Nowacheks took of Natalie having fun in their pool during her stay in Millstone Township was selected by the Fresh Air Fund as the winner of the “In the Pool” category in the organization’s 2016 photo contest.
James Nowachek said he and his wife have previously served as volunteers in various roles. After losing a child to sudden infant death syndrome, they became volunteer counselors for other grieving families.
Speaking of his and Susan’s experience as counselors, he said, “We realized how truly precious life is. If there is a way to bring happiness into someone else’s life, we strive to do that.”
The Nowacheks enjoyed hosting Natalie because it gave them a chance to have a young child in their home again and they were able to watch her enjoy new experiences in Millstone. The couple has two adult sons, one who lives in North Brunswick and one who is stationed overseas with the Marines.
“We absolutely loved having Natalie in our home,” Nowachek said. “It was a lot of fun having a young child in the house again and seeing the excitement in her eyes when she would do some of the things we all take for granted living in Millstone.
“Simple things like catching fireflies at night, sitting around a fire pit, going to the county fair, swimming in a pool or just having ice cream in the park.
“Things we have all done so many times that have become so routine take on a different feeling when you see a child from the city experience them for the first time,” he said.
Nowachek said he and his wife expect to host a Fresh Air Fund child in 2017 and he suggested that other local families may want to participate in the program.
“The Fresh Air Fund is very well run and all the people involved are super friendly and professional,” Nowachek said. “I encourage anyone who is interested to consider hosting a child. It is just one week out of the summer and families should understand it is not a huge commitment. Just do what you would normally do with your family, plus one more.
“We planned an activity every day for Natalie, but after a few days we realized she was happy staying home some days, just going out into our yard to feed our alpacas and goats, playing with our Beanie Baby collection, learning to play on our pool table, or just working on a jigsaw puzzle,” he said. “It was a wonderful experience for us as well as for Natalie.”