A lemonade stand in Hampton, Va. is selling lemonade and other tasty treats. But this isn’t just any lemonade business—the stand selling sweets has an even sweeter philanthropic purpose.
Eleven-year-old Cartier Carey came up with the idea once he noticed the strain the COVID-19 pandemic put on families. Although the pandemic hit everyone hard, it’s been especially taxing for single mothers who suddenly found their daycare and babysitting options cut off. Add to that the shortage of diapers and baby wipes in grocery stores, and it’s been a very tough few months.
“I just wanted to raise money and spread awareness about single mothers that are struggling during this pandemic. They’re doing everything on their own so I decided to help,” Carey told Live with Kelly and Ryan. Wanting to provide a bit of relief, the rising sixth-grader decided to open up a lemonade stand outside of his house. Their singular goal is to raise money by selling lemonade and other tasty treats, with 100 percent of the proceeds going straight towards buying materials for mothers in need.
With some help from his family and friends, the lemonade stand has already yielded over $4,500 since its inception. Every night after the stand closes, Carey says it fills up to about three carts full of baby materials, including baby clothes, baby wipes, and diapers. In addition to donating to different shelters, the altruistic family even drove an hour out to Richmond to hand-deliver some of the care packages.
