Local family welcomes child from inner city for seventh visit

Beth Getgen said she always wanted her daughter, Amanda, 13, to have an older sister to look up to.

Thanks to the Fresh Air Fund program, Getgen's wish came true.

The Newberry family welcomed Cynthia Sarmiento, a 15-year-old from Queens, N.Y., into their home for the seventh consecutive year on Wednesday.

The Fresh Air Fund is a nonprofit agency, which provides free summer vacations to New York City children from low-income communities.

Getgen said her family decided to host a Fresh Air child after hearing about the program at work.

"It sounded really interesting, so I thought we would try this," she said.

Since then, Getgen said her family has had a great experience.

"It's been really good, we've learned a lot," she said.

Sarmiento said the experience also has been good for her.

"They're a great family," she said. "They're really kind and caring."

During Sarmiento's two-week visits each summer, the family plans numerous activities to keep their guest entertained. The group enjoys camping, swimming and fishing, among other traditional summer pastimes.

Sarmiento said Williamsport is a big change from her neighborhood in New York.

"It's more quiet here," she said. "(In Queens), there's a lot of traffic and more people."

But Sarmiento said she enjoys having a rest from the hectic pace of the big city.

"Sometimes you just want a break from everything," she said.

For Amanda Getgen and her brother Matthew, 9, Sarmiento's visits provide them with another person to have fun with.

"It's a lot of fun because we can teach her games she doesn't know and she teaches us games from New York," Amanda said.

Beth joked that her son hadn't left Sarmiento alone since she arrived for her two-week stay.

"He started bugging her the minute she walked in the door," she said.

Beth said she would recommend that other families thinking about taking in a Fresh Air child not rush to any decisions.

"I would recommend a lot of prayer and consideration," she said. "It's very different having another child in your house."

But she added that her family's experience has been nothing but positive.

"It's really been a blessing for us," she said.