BY MEGHAN KELLEHER, LEMONADE DAY NATIONAL DEVELOPMENT MANAGER

All of us here at Lemonade Day hope you and your loved ones are healthy and safe. Though this is a strange and unprecedented time, we are finding comfort in the stories we’ve heard about people helping others across the globe. Even our youth entrepreneurs are making lemonade out of lemons (literally and figuratively) ― like Hayley from Lemonade Day Fort Hood (Texas), who is dedicating her stand to honor “our front liners and essential workers who are trying to keep our world safe.”

In these extraordinary circumstances, we have become even more entrepreneurial ourselves by providing alternative in-home programming to provide access to our high-quality experiential learning program while ensuring the safety of our children and families.

Lemonade Day has participated in #GivingTuesday, which occurs every year on the Tuesday after Thanksgiving. In response to the COVID-19 pandemic and its effect on nonprofits, the GivingTuesday organization recently created an additional global day of giving, #GivingTuesdayNow, which is happening today, May 5th. 

We are grateful for the incredible opportunity to provide this added level of business, financial, and social-emotional lessons to our kids, especially when parents are looking for homeschooling ideas and ways to keep their kids engaged. But, we cannot do it without you! Lemonade Day is more than just a day ― more than just a lemonade stand. We challenge youth entrepreneurs and their parents and mentors to channel an entrepreneurial mindset and brainstorm how a business strategy can be adapted to this real-world scenario. At a cost of $15 per child annually, it is one of the most effective ways to positively impact a child's life.

To maintain the level of support our youth entrepreneurs and their families expect of us, Lemonade Day is participating in #GivingTuesdayNow. Our entire team and national board of directors invite you to help us achieve our goal of raising $150,000 in cash or pledges in the next 60 days. Most of the youth we serve come from underserved areas, and many desperately need fun and experiential programs to keep their minds stimulated during this time.
 

In this brief video, Lemonade Day National President Steven Gordon shares a message on how the funds we raise today and over the next 60 days will help youth entrepreneurs.

Join our movement today! Please make an online gift on our donate page today in whichever amount is impactful to you. Thank you for supporting the next generation of leaders, changemakers, and philanthropists (like you). We remain inspired by the values and commitment of our community and the unwavering belief and optimism in our country.
 

I want to leave you with this sweet story from one of our young entrepreneurs:

Jaida Holley sees herself as a kite ― each kite is different by the way it flows, the style and the shape. Jaida said, "I like to stand out and be my own person. Basically, I am a different kite that will fly high into the sky, trying to reach the sun." When Jaida was born, she was diagnosed with sickle cell disease, but she does not let this disease stop her. At age 10, Jaida wrote her first book for Lemonade Day. When Jaida first heard about Lemonade Day from her mom, all she knew about the program was that it helped kids become entrepreneurs. Her mom gave her the idea to build on her Lemonade Day experience to help her publish her first book called 10 Short Stories and Poems from the Mind of a 10-Year-Old. She said, "Not everybody believed a 10-year-old could write a book and publish it or write a book on a deadline." With Lemonade Day around the corner, she had only two months to wrap up her book, yet Jaida met her deadline. She credits Lemonade Day with teaching her how to manage her time, the value of having a plan, and following the steps to accomplish her goal.

After falling in love with Lemonade Day, Jaida continues her writing and plans to publish 10 more books. Jaida held two book signings in Houston and Killeen, Texas. She met many publishers and gained valuable advice. Jaida said, "They encouraged me to keep writing." Jaida was featured in an online magazine called Be the Boss. She said, "I want to start a nonprofit to help decrease dropout rates." Jaida's book can be found on Amazon.

―Amanda Sequeira, Lemonade Day city director

Please share this blog with your friends, family members, and co-workers. All of us at Lemonade Day appreciate your support!

I welcome your comments and suggestions anytime: meghan@lemonadeday.org.

For more information about Lemonade Day, please visit lemonadeday.org.