I suspect his future self will thank him for something even greater
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I suspect his future self will thank him for something even greater
“Fab was one of the first places where I felt encouraged to explore who I was and what I cared about without being boxed in by expectations.”
Summer is Here
“It’s the Fab Mentality. It’s Just the Vibe.”
We love summer for so many reasons.
The surfing. The farming. The fishing. Paddleboarding. Kayaking. Hiking. Long afternoons simply hanging out together.
But what we love most are the unexpected moments when you really get to know a child.
One of those moments happened this week after our surf session at Second Beach.
Eleven-year-old Hunter had already caught a few waves, but instead of heading back with everyone else, he wandered toward the rocky shoreline to explore. Soon his hands were full of treasures—a patterned shell, a molted crab shell, the remains of a scallop—all carefully collected inside a giant surf clam shell.
When we reached a tide pool, he pointed excitedly.
“Wow…is that a sea anemone?”
It was.
As we watched it gently pull its tentacles inward after a light touch, our conversation wandered to barnacles, mussels, and all the hidden life along the shore.
Then, almost out of nowhere, Hunter smiled and said: “This is why I love Fab. It’s the Fab mentality. It’s just the vibe. There’s nothing threatening.”
Hunter’s free flowing comment moved me. Children don’t become curious because we lecture them. They become curious because they feel safe enough to notice.
When there’s no pressure to hurry or have the right answer, they begin asking better questions. They see beauty where others walk by. They discover sea anemones in tide pools. They describe shells as metallic and sunlight in tide pool as luminous.
At FabNewport, we often say that relationships come before learning. Hunter reminded me that curiosity comes next.
Before heading home that afternoon, we asked our group “What did you do today that your future self will thank you for?”
The answers included surfing, running barefoot through the grass, and playing the biggest game of Manhunt imaginable.
Hunter simply said,
“Probably surfing…because it’s a really nice skill to have. And…it’s just really cool.”
I suspect his future self will thank him for something even greater.
For being the kind of eleven-year-old who paid attention.
Who wasn’t afraid to ask questions.
Who felt safe enough to be curious.
Because in a world that increasingly rewards speed, distraction, and certainty, perhaps the greatest gift we can give young people is something much quieter:
A place where there is nothing threatening.
A place where they can learn to see.
We are on match until August 31. Any funds, up to $10,000, will be matched by the Royal Little Family Foundation. Please help us support more young people like Lala and Hunter.
“I’ve been here since I was ten,” Lala told a mother who had come to The Salvation Army looking for assistance, trying to complete paperwork while caring for her three young children.
“It’s so much fun. I’ve never had to worry about meals or money. We do so many amazing things,” said Lala,” explaining her time at FabNewport more succinctly than many adults ever could.
Our mission is remove barriers so every young person can show up, belong, and discover what’s possible. Meals are provided. Transportation is provided. Every experience is free. Because whether a child gets to learn, create, explore, or build friendships should never depend on what’s in their family’s wallet.
Lala knows this because she’s lived it.
I first met her when she was eight years old. By ten, she’d found her place at FabNewport. Over the years she embraced every opportunity—podcasting, cooking, Heart Club, NEX camper, and now, for the past three summers, Teen Navigator.
Today she’s one of the young leaders who creates the same sense of belonging she experienced as a child.
Earlier this week, while we were preparing lunches at The Salvation Army, this mother arrived looking for help. As she worked through paperwork, her three young children needed constant attention.
Without being asked, Lala invited them into our workspace. She found something for them to watch, offered snacks and cold drinks, and kept them laughing while their mother was finally able to focus.
When the paperwork was finished, the mother shared how difficult summers are. Camp is simply out of reach. Even many “free” programs require families to provide lunches and snacks every day—an expense she cannot afford while living in a shelter.
Before I could respond, Lala did.
She simply shared her own story.
The mother’s shoulders relaxed. Someone understood.
Before she left, she asked one final question.
“How can my kids be part of FabNewport?”
That’s why we do this. When a community removes barriers, young people don’t simply benefit from generosity. They grow into the kind of people who extend it to others.
Lala didn’t define equity. She demonstrated it. And today, she’s helping the next generation experience it too.
