Fresh Air For Chauncie

It's 8 a.m. Tuesday and Chauncie Byers, 10, of the Bronx strolls with the Caplan sisters to the bus stop at the corner of Dale Street and Linden Avenue in Swampscott.

The neighborhood stirs but it's still pretty quiet.

Birds chirp. An occasional garage or car door cranks open and thumps shut. Cars pass every few seconds on nearby Salem Street.

Chauncie is headed to Camp Menorah for a day of boating, swimming and classes with Lila, 9, and Louisa, 6, Caplan. The camp donated two days to Chauncie and the girls wait for the yellow camp bus to arrive.

If she was back in New York City, Chauncie might spend the day watching some television — iCarly is her favorite show — going to the park, or jumping in a pool.

She has two sisters and two brothers but not all of them live at the same place. Her mom is a nurse and her name is Tyreese.

Chauncie, a PS 58 student during the school year, was a little scared on Thursday coming to a new place for a week but she says she's not homesick at all.

In fact, Melissa Caplan, Louisa and Lila's mom, said later that Chauncie wants to visit them again in the winter — on her birthday.

Meanwhile, this summer Fresh Air trip almost didn't happen.

Chauncie went to Port Authority terminal in New York on Wednesday to board the Fresh Air bus taking 33 kids to Eastern Mass homes.

But the transportation people wouldn't let her board because she did not have her inhaler for an asthma condition.

Later that day the Fresh Air organizers scrambled to make other arrangements. A day later they flew her to Logan where the Caplans picked her up.

Things are different here, Chauncie says.

For one, the Caplans go to bed a few hours earlier than the she goes to bed back in the city.

And she was surprised by the size of the Caplans house, too.

"The house is a lot wider — but nice," she said.

Chauncie, wearing a patterned necklace that she made during her visit, smiles when she mentions the Caplans dog.

Her favorite meal so far has been grilled steak.

At home, she helps her mom cook meals like chicken and peas and macaroni and cheese.

The Camp Menorah bus arrives and Chauncie, who is tall for her age, boards with her friends.

She says bye to Melissa, who is headed for work.

This is the first time that the Caplans have hosted a Fresh Air kid.

Melissa did not know what to expect, and she is glad that they ended up with such a sweet kid.

Chauncie is polite and thoughtful and is bonding with the Caplan girls.

During Chauncie's visit the Caplans took her to Devereux Beach in Marblehead for dinner and to go swimming.

Melissa Caplan said that she thinks it was the first time Chauncie had been to the ocean.

She and 6-year-old Louisa were standing knee deep in the ocean water. Small waves were breaking nearby and Chauncie reached out her hand to Louisa.

Louisa took her hand and they stood in the ocean at the shore.

A little information about the Fresh Air Fund, provided by the organization:

THE FRESH AIR FUND, an independent, not-for-profit agency, has provided free summer experiences to more than 1.7 million children since 1877.

Each summer, thousands of New York City children from low-income neighborhoods visit volunteer host families in 13 Northeastern states and Canada.

In 2011, the Fund celebrates its 135th summer of serving children with a wide variety of special events and volunteer opportunities.