Children experiencing foster care are receiving free swim lessons thanks to a partnership between the Emmaus Aquatic Club and The Kindness Project.

“The Kindness Project strives to provide a wide array of enrichment opportunities to the children we serve. Working with Coach Marty, we were able to steer our resource families toward skills that will remain with the children for life,” Jenae Holtzhafer, founder and executive director of The Kindness Project said. “We rely 100 percent on the local community for donations, funding and enrichment programming. This partnership showcases the benefits of collaborating on behalf of the children we serve. We are the only foster care community center in the Lehigh Valley and surrounding area, serving over 1,100 children to date.”

Led by Marty Peiffer at the Emmaus Aquatic Club, children are gaining valuable skills ranging from blowing bubbles to floating on their front and back, treading water, freestyle and backstroke, to diving. The children are learning at their own pace depending on their skill level, age and goals. Classes are also being offered to children with special needs.

Students register for a once-weekly 30-minute lesson and can continue with lessons as long as they are associated with The Kindness Project.

Peiffer recently shared some of her reasoning for developing this partnership.

“Drowning is a huge problem around the world. Children in foster care may not have the opportunity to take lessons that others have. This may save their lives one day. Additionally, swimming is a sport that they might miss participating in without the lessons to get them started. As adults, they, too, may enjoy swimming as a form of exercise.”

The Kindness Project is a donation-based, volunteer-run 501(c)3 nonprofit supporting foster and adoptive families with opportunities to make a difference in the life of a child experiencing foster care. Items are distributed at no cost and include infant equipment (car seats, strollers, cribs), diapers, infant formula, beds and bedding, clothing, shoes and hygiene items as well as educational and fun items. Visit www.KindnessProjectLV.org for more information.