By denise richardson
staff writer
Darlene Pondolfino of Oneonta has been honored for her ``brilliant outreach'' on behalf of the Fresh Air Fund.
Pondolfino said Sunday she was surprised to receive the recognition during a three-day Fresh Air Fund conference in New York City in late January. She was identified in a media release as among the organization's ``most outstanding volunteers who perform exceptional community outreach, by thinking outside the box and coming up with creative ways to spread the word about The Fresh Air hosting program.''
The Fresh Air Fund has provided free summer vacations to more than 1.7 million underprivileged New York City children since 1877. Each summer, the Friendly Town program enables volunteer host families in 13 states and Canada to open their homes for two weeks or more to inner-city children.
The local Friendly Town program places children in Oneonta, Bainbridge, Delhi, Stamford and other communities, Pondolfino said.
Last summer, about 50 children visited the area, she said. This summer, her goal is to place 75 children. Though recognition by the organization is ``wonderful,'' she said, the true reward is seeing children leave the bus in Oneonta on their way to spend time with local families.
At the conference, Pondolfino received a "Mega Award" megaphone for her successful efforts, and this year, she not only is a chairwoman for the local program but also has taken on more responsibilities as a fund representative.
``Darlene implements a simple, but brilliant outreach plan,'' the release said. ``She shares the heartwarming stories of local hosts with the help of the local media, and makes sure to talk about how Fresh Air children show their host families the joy of their day-to-day lives.''
Pondolfino said her success mainly is the result of newspaper stories and radio interviews. At the awards ceremony, coverage in The Daily Star on the front page above the fold was mentioned, she said.
She also uses many posters and has bookmarks that are circulated through the downtown Green Toad Bookstore, which is owned by her sister-in-law, Michele Pondolfino.
Darlene Pondolofino works as a wedding planner and home interior decorator, as well as a volunteer for the Fresh Air Fund. She said her family was a host about 10 years ago, and this is her fourth year as a local chairwoman connecting children and families.
The experiences usually are ``equally wonderful for both sides,'' she said, but she also has been a trouble-shooter to resolve problematic situations.
Pondolfino said she has begun the search for host families, who have included couples; single women; older, single women without children; ``empty-nest'' couples whose children are grown; and same-sex couples. Visitation dates this summer are July 5 to 19 and from Aug. 9 to 16. A host family is interviewed and must clear a background check, she said.
For more information, call Pondolfino cell phone at 287-6373, 432-6476 at home or visit www.freshair.org.
