young girl at lemonade stand
Sarah Biren
Sarah Biren
June 7, 2021 ·  4 min read

Touching Story: 3-year-old used lemonade stand profits to buy diapers for mothers in need

Many kids sell lemonade, but this young girl turned her stand into a successful business. The best part is that the proceeds from her lemonade stand went to buy baby supplies for mothers who need them. Three-year-old Ava Lewis and her mother, Maggie, have been busy since their business exploded in popularity in 2019. 

Ava set up her lemonade stand in Durham, outside of her mother’s hair salon, The Lather Lounge. Soon after starting up, people began buying gallons, instead of cups, of lemonade. 

I said I was going to retire at 40,” Maggie said. “I guess Ava is going to have me retire sooner than that. People have been popping up even when we close.” [1]

Ava Lewis’s Charitable Lemonade Stand

Ava’s lemonade stand now has its own Facebook page, listing its hours and adorable pictures of the three-year-old business owner.

It’s been unbelievable,” Maggie said. “Since G-d is in it, there’s no limit!” The mother had originally suggested that Ava could sell bracelets, but the three-year-old insisted on lemonade.

In August 2019, the family team succeeded in reaching Ava’s goal to buy baby supplies. So they dropped off multiple boxes of diapers and baby wipes at the Good Samaritan Inn, operated by the Durham Rescue Mission. The Good Samaritan Inn is a transition facility for women facing challenges. It houses about 130 women and children every night. Additionally, Ava learned this charitable nature from her parents, from helping students get supplies to giving out food during the holidays.

Me and my husband, we give back to the community,” Maggie said “And we donate different things like bookbag drives, turkey drives, all types of things. And we sowed that seed, and I’m thinking that seed is Ava because this is what she wants to do.” [2]

The Lemonade Baby

Ava is now being recognized in Durham when she’s out with her mother. People even came up with a nickname for you.

The lemonade baby,” Maggie said. “You really can’t top it unless I come out with some peaches,” Maggie laughed. “Peach lemonade, raspberry lemonade, different kinds.

In the meantime, Ava’s business is only growing. She even received an order as far as Atlanta. 

She’s in a store right now in Durham and another restaurant wants her to have her drinks in his store,” Maggie said. “It’s a real business, it’s an LLC, it’s legit. So this is a business.

The mother added, “It’s gonna go on for a lifetime until she decides this isn’t what she wants to do no more.[3]

Read: Bride Has Her Wedding Gown Cut Into 17 ‘Angel Gowns’ For Babies Lost Too Soon

Cartier Carey’s Lemonade Stand

Another incredible kid is using the classic lemonade stand to raise money for charity as well. Cartier Carey is an 11-year-old in Hampton, Virginia. And during the pandemic in July 2020, the sign in front of his stand read, “Raising Money for Single Mothers.” 

As a sixth-grader, he wanted to help single mothers struggling due to the coronavirus. Although his parents are together, “a lot of his friends have single moms,” said Cartier’s mother, Britney Stewart. “Through them, he knows how hard it can be.”

Additionally, one of his closest friends lives with a single mom, and they often stay at Cartier’s house while the mother is working. In his own words, Cartier explained, “It’s just one of them, and they’re doing everything on their own.

Cartier opened his lemonade stand near a busy intersection, with the help of his family and several children around the neighborhood. All of his proceeds went to baby supplies for mothers in need. One table sold lemonade, chips, and candy, and another held the diapers and baby wipes for parents to take. They were met with immediate success. “We didn’t expect it would take off so quickly,” said Stewart. “We raised $3,000 in the first three days.”

People began to stop by regularly. “A lot of the time, people see the sign and want to donate,” she said. “Many will ask to buy a lemonade for a dollar, but they’ll usually leave $20.”

Then, every few days, Stewart and Cartier would buy supplies to give to local shelters, churches, and directly to women who heard about the lemonade stand and came by. 

“It fills my heart up to help these people,” said Jasmine Ballard, 19, who helped Cartier’s initiative. “They cry when they hug us, and it feels so good to know that we can help them and their families.[4]

When one grateful single mother thanked him, Cartier knew all of his efforts paid off. “It was heart-touching. I almost cried myself when she gave me a hug and started crying. That made me want to just keep doing it,” he said. “Others can make a difference just like I’m doing right now. They can save lives and be heroes. [You’re] never too young.

Keep Reading: Baby Girl With Down Syndrome Is Adopted by a Doting Dad After Being Rejected by 20 Families

Sources

  1. “3-year-old uses lemonade stand profits to buy diapers for mothers in need.ABC. DeJuan Hoggard. August 13, 2019
  2. 3-year-old uses lemonade stand profits to buy diapers for moms in need.WSOC TV. August 14, 2019
  3. 3-Year-Old Starts Lemonade Stand to Help Children in Need.Inside Edition. Stephanie Officer. August 27, 2019
  4. “This 11-year-old sells cups of lemonade to buy diapers for single moms.” The Washington Post. Sydney Page. August 21, 2020
  5. “Boy Donates 22,000 Diapers to Single Moms Using Funds From His Lemonade Stand.Good News Network. Judy Cole. September 10, 2020