Diddy once spent a "life-changing summer" with the Amish
The 51-year-old rapper has revealed that when he was younger he travelled from his Harlem home to spend time with a family from the Amish community and says it taught him how to survive
24 November 2020
Speaking at the Fresh Air Fund's virtual gala about his experience, he said: "My name is Sean Love Combs and I am a former Fresh Air Fund kid. I grew up in Harlem. We didn't have any summer camps.
"I went and stayed with an Amish family, and that was crazy because there was no electricity and things like that — it helped me to survive. It helped me .?.?. to have those experiences that [tell you] everything's going to be all right. There's no electricity.
"The Fresh Air Fund changed my life — as you can see."
The Amish people keep themselves separate from the rest of the world, so they live in their own small communities and differ from other Americans in their dress, language, work, travel and education.
Mariah Carey also praised the Fresh Air Fund, which is linked to her own Camp Mariah.
She said: "When I began, I had one simple idea … to create a summer camp where kids feel safe, have fun and learn something. And today, Camp Mariah is still going strong. It motivates me, in return, to keep doing my best."
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