Ava Lewis might just be three years but she is making an impact already. The Durham, North Carolina resident realised that babies needed support with sanitary items. She told her mum “I want to help babies,” and this began her journey to support babies with sanitary items.
Ava, supported by her mother Maggie, commenced selling lemonade to raise funds to support babies in need, and when TV station ABC11 reported on the business and philanthropy of little Ava, people thronged to her selling point to buy and also support her to help others.
While selling in cups, after the TV coverage, folks have begun placing orders by the gallons.
Ava’s mum is a hairstylist at ‘The Lather Lounge’ in Durham and it is the storefront that Ava’s lemonade stand is positioned.
“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.”
Ava’s business has been so successful that even after the shop is closed, folks show up wanting to make a purchase. With the demand high, schedule hours are now listed on her Facebook page.
UPDATE: 3-year-old Ava Lewis of Durham reached her goal and sold enough lemonade to buy diapers and wipes for babies in need. This afternoon, she made a special delivery to the mothers at the Durham Rescue Mission. #ABC11 pic.twitter.com/rdfdC8Dhn4
— DeJuan Hoggard (@DeJuanABC11) August 12, 2019
“It’s been unbelievable,” Maggie said. “Since God is in it, it’s no limit!”
Ava, her mom and grandmother tested recipes and built the stand, which they parked outside the hair salon Maggie has owned for 11 years. The Lewis family sold enough lemonade to reach Ava’s goal to buy baby supplies for children in need, reports abc7ny.com.
Mother and child have donated several boxes of baby wipes and a box of diapers to the Good Samaritan Inn, operated by the Durham Rescue Mission. The Good Samaritan Inn is a transition facility for women facing life’s toughest challenges. According to the mission’s website, the inn houses an average of 130 women and children each night.
3-year-old Ava Lewis of Durham has a lemonade stand and it’s a hit! She’s gone from selling cups of lemonade to selling gallons. Her goal is to raise money to buy diapers and bottles for babies in need. #ABC11 pic.twitter.com/CIWDu1vuZI
— DeJuan Hoggard (@DeJuanABC11) July 31, 2019
“It just means the world to us to see a young person…that is thinking of others,” said Good Samaritan Inn director Gail Mills. “(Ava) is selling her lemonade to have the funds to buy the diapers and the wipes — it just makes my day, such a heartwarming experience to meet little Ava and to see how her mother is teaching her at such a young age to care for others and to share her blessing with people who are having a hard time.”