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Summer in East Boston is more than a season. It is a time for families to come together, children to discover new experiences, young people to develop leadership skills, and neighbors to enjoy and care for the community they call home.During Summer 2026, Neighborhood of Affordable Housing (NOAH) brought hundreds of East Boston residents together through free community and youth programs, including kayaking, soccer, fishing, and gardening.These programs provided children, youth, adults, and families with opportunities to stay active, enjoy East Boston’s outdoor spaces and waterfront, learn new skills, and build stronger connections with one another.At the heart of this work were 14 youth leaders—7 girls and 7 boys—who helped make NOAH’s summer programs possible.Under the direction of Sury Chavez, Head of the Community Building & Environment Department, and with the leadership and instruction of Andrea Chacon and Elbert Gomes, these young people spent their summer not only participating, but also working, teaching, supporting families, taking responsibility, and giving back to their East Boston community.
The numbers tell an important part of the story of NOAH’s 2026 summer programs:14 youth leaders — 7 girls and 7 boys4 community programs: kayaking, soccer, fishing, and gardening1,088 kayak participants/visits52 children participating in the soccer programChildren, families, and community members participating in fishing and gardening activitiesBut NOAH’s impact goes beyond numbers.Behind every participation is a child discovering something new, a young person developing leadership skills, a parent finding an accessible activity for their family, or a neighbor connecting with East Boston in a new way.For some children, this summer meant trying a sport for the first time. For families, it meant having access to activities close to home. And for NOAH’s youth leaders, it meant having meaningful opportunities to contribute to the neighborhood where they live and grow.These experiences reflect what community building in East Boston is all about: creating opportunities today while strengthening connections for the future.
East Boston is surrounded by water, yet not every resident has the same opportunity to experience and enjoy the waterfront.NOAH’s East Boston kayaking program helps create that opportunity.During Summer 2026, NOAH recorded 684 youth and 404 adult kayak participants/visits, for a combined total of 1,088.Kayaking gives children and adults an opportunity to be active outdoors, learn new skills, and experience their neighborhood from a completely different perspective.But the program is about more than recreation.East Boston’s relationship with the water is deeply connected to its history, culture, immigrant communities, and generations of working families who have made this neighborhood their home.Providing greater access to the waterfront creates an opportunity for residents to experience an important part of the neighborhood they live in while developing a stronger connection to its natural environment.This summer, children, young people, parents, and neighbors were able to experience East Boston from the water—together.
Few activities bring cultures and generations together quite like soccer.This summer, 52 girls and boys participated in NOAH’s free youth soccer program in East Boston.The program created a welcoming place for children to play, stay active, build confidence, practice teamwork, and make new friends during their summer break.In a neighborhood as culturally diverse as East Boston, soccer is also something many families already share. Children may come from different backgrounds and traditions, but on the field they can play and learn together.For parents and caregivers, the program offered an accessible summer activity right in their community.For NOAH’s youth leaders, soccer provided another opportunity to encourage younger children, model teamwork and responsibility, and discover what it means to become a mentor.
Summer 2026 also brought a new experience to NOAH: a Community Fishing Program in East Boston.The program gave children, youth, and community members an opportunity to learn how to fish while discovering more about East Boston’s waters, local marine life, and environmental conservation.Fishing also brought something deeply personal into NOAH’s summer programming. For many people, a love for fishing and the water comes from family, culture, and traditions passed from one generation to another.Sharing those traditions with young people turns a fishing lesson into something much bigger. It creates an opportunity to teach patience, respect for nature, conservation, and responsibility for the place we call home.NOAH hopes this new community fishing initiative will continue to grow and become a summer tradition that East Boston families can enjoy for years to come.A special thank you to the Massachusetts Division of Marine Fisheries, Mystic River Watershed Association, and Massachusetts DCR for helping make this program possible.
NOAH’s summer gardening activities created another way for young people and residents to connect with the environment right here in East Boston.Gardening teaches much more than how to plant and grow food. It requires patience, care, responsibility, and consistency. It also allows young people to experience firsthand what can happen when we invest time and attention in something and watch it grow.The same lesson applies to communities.Through opportunities to learn about plants, food, green spaces, and environmental stewardship, NOAH encourages young people and families to understand that everyone can play a role in caring for their neighborhood.
At the center of NOAH’s four summer programs was a team of 14 young people—7 girls and 7 boys—helping serve their own community.Throughout the summer, they welcomed participants, supported activities, worked with children and families, and helped create positive experiences across NOAH’s programs.With guidance from Sury Chavez, Andrea Chacon, and Elbert Gomes, they were also given something important: responsibility and an opportunity to lead.Youth programs can provide recreation and work experience, but their impact can extend much further. They can help young people discover their strengths, develop communication and leadership skills, and recognize that they have something valuable to contribute to their community.When younger children see young people from their own neighborhood teaching, helping, and leading, they can begin to see those possibilities for themselves.Investing in youth leadership today helps build stronger communities for tomorrow.
Perhaps the most meaningful impact of NOAH’s summer cannot be captured by a number.It can be found in the relationships and memories created along the way.It is a parent watching their child become more confident on the soccer field. A family seeing East Boston from a kayak. A young person teaching a child how to fish. Neighbors learning and gardening together. And a teenager realizing that they can be a leader in the same community where they are growing up.These experiences create connection, belonging, pride, and community.They remind us that a neighborhood is more than the buildings and streets around us. It is the relationships between the people who call it home.
As Summer 2026 comes to a close, NOAH celebrates our 14 youth leaders, the 52 children who participated in soccer, the 1,088 kayak participants/visits, and everyone who joined us for fishing, gardening, and outdoor experiences throughout East Boston.Most importantly, we celebrate what these numbers represent:Access. Opportunity. Culture. Family. Leadership. Community.The summer may end, but the skills, relationships, memories, and sense of belonging created through these experiences continue.
A heartfelt thank you to our staff, instructors, youth leaders, community partners, families, and everyone who participated in making this summer so special.Your time, support, and energy helped create meaningful experiences for children, youth, and families across East Boston.Thank you for being part of NOAH’s Summer 2026 and for helping us continue building a stronger, more connected community.