Being a counselor at the Southampton Fresh Air Home is, as they say, “the toughest job you’ll ever love.”  Many staff return each summer, and form friendships with other staff and campers that last for years and years. 

Counselors and support staff work long hours and the work is often physically demanding.

Our campers are bright, funny, caring, energetic, joyful youngsters who love life and love camp. They are appreciative, understanding and patient. They need to have limits set and maintained, as do all children.  They get homesick, they miss their favorite foods, and they try to talk you into letting them stay up past bedtime when they are having too much fun. Their counselors help them, encourage them, teach them, and sometimes say “no” to them.

Successful SFAH counselors love children, yet know how important it is to be “the adult” with every child.  They are physically strong and comfortable working in the summer heat, the occasional drenching downpour, and living in relatively close quarters.  They appreciate all kinds of fun, and can turn embarrassing or difficult moments into opportunities for growth—or just simple laughter.  They have a high tolerance for diversity, living and working with all kinds of people who are different.  And they are willing to share themselves—their strengths and their weaknesses—with others.

“It's the toughest job you’ll ever love!”

-SFAH Staff

Counselors, support staff and campers live in the buildings on the grounds of SFAH.  Staff share bedrooms, usually with three others, in rooms with bunk beds and shared bathrooms immediately next door.  Some staff rooms are in the Main Building, while others are off the children’s bunks in the dorms.  Nurses have private bedrooms, and share a bathroom. All bedrooms have air-conditioning.

All staff eat with campers family-style. To maintain the sense of community and shared camping experience, there are no private dining or kitchen facilities. All meals are healthy, child-friendly food prepared in the camp’s kitchen.

All camp recreational facilities are available for staff, at regularly scheduled times.  When lifeguards are available, staff may use the pools.  The Mulholland Computer Center is open late so that staff may use the computers after the children have gone to bed. In addition, many areas of the camp have free wireless access and staff are welcome to bring their own internet ready devices. Staff may use the tennis and basketball courts when they are not working during daylight hours.  We provide bicycles to go into town or to the beach on days off. 

The camp is about three miles from the center of Southampton.  For those who do not wish to ride bicycles, cabs are an option for transport into town. On staff days off we provide transportation to and from the town/beach.

New York City is two hours away by train or bus.

There are limited parking facilities on the camp grounds, available on a first come, first served basis, for American staff who wish to bring cars to camp.  If you wish to bring your car, be sure to discuss this with the Camp Director during the interview process.