Vic Mellor Featured on This American Life Public Radio Program
This American Life Profiles Vic Mellor
This American Life featured Vic Mellor prominently in its July 14, 2023 episode titled “The Florida Experiment.” Reporter Zoe Chace highlights Vic’s work in Sarasota County, Florida. The episode focuses on his creation of The Hollow, a family-friendly campground and gathering space built on formerly swampy land.
The program also explores Mellor’s newer investment at 959 East Venice Avenue. He invested roughly $3 million into a 10,000-square-foot building. The facility houses both a high-end podcast studio used by General Michael Flynn and the new We The People Health and Wellness Center.
From Rhode Island Roots to Florida Community Building
The episode describes Vic as a self-made businessman who built success from modest beginnings. It notes his work building a precast concrete company and mentions his longtime interest in Fox News and political issues.
The story also traces his roots back to Woonsocket, Rhode Island. In addition, it references his presence at the January 6, 2021 Capitol events. According to the program, the COVID pandemic, lockdowns, and mask mandates became major turning points for him.
Parents in Sarasota later gathered at The Hollow to oppose school mask policies. The episode highlights several youth and family activities hosted there. These include gun safety training, waterslides, zip lines, and outdoor adventure programs.
Health Care and Alternative Institutions
The program mentions the We The People Health and Wellness Center as a place where families skeptical of traditional medical institutions can seek care. According to the episode, the clinic provides IV vitamins, pediatric services, and treatment from providers who share similar values with many of its patients. The broader framing places these efforts within Florida’s response to COVID policies under Governor DeSantis.
The episode describes Florida as an “experiment” in resisting mandates and building alternative institutions. It also connects Mellor’s work to debates over parental rights, personal liberty, and health-care decision-making.
Vic built The Hollow as a safe, fun place for kids to be kids and for families to connect around American values. He invested millions more in a medical clinic because he saw real people, including his own neighbors, being harmed by one-size-fits-all mandates and a loss of trust in institutions.
These are practical, community-driven solutions. When government overreaches on health care, education, and personal liberty, Americans have the right and the responsibility to build better alternatives.
What This Means for Rhode Island
This American Life devoting significant coverage to Vic Mellor’s work proves that his movement to bring freedom back to the American people is drawing national attention. Rhode Island families face many of the same pressures Mellor has been addressing for years. Costs continue to rise, schools prioritize ideology over fundamental education, and politicians want control over your health decisions.
Vic Mellor will not apologize for believing that parents know best, the Constitution still matters, and medical choices belong to individuals and families.
Rhode Islanders deserve a Congressman who can bring a proven, results-oriented fighting spirit. In Rhode Island Congress, Vic Mellor will continue to be the leader that builds solutions, defends families, and never backs down.
