A family of young entrepreneurs is transforming their lemonade stand to help those in need this Christmas.
The Chapmans – Bella, 11; Will, 9; and Lily, 6 – are taking their experience running their lemonade stand “Sweet & Sour Power” for the past two years to set up shop inside the Sobeys lobby on Dec. 10 with their fundraising venture, “Cups 4 Cans.” In exchange for food bank items, patrons will be treated to a cup of hot chocolate they can customize to their liking with crushed candy cane, chocolate chips and marshmallows.
“We’ve been thinking about how Lemonade Day is such a great operation and how it just really helps our community with the donation part,” said Bella. “But lemonade, we thought, is really usually for summertime, so we thought what about wintertime? Because wintertime is a time when a lot of people struggle with life and for having food for their families.”
Having worked with the Okotoks Food Bank before, the Chapmans decided to run a winter campaign.
They won’t be making any money this time around. Their only goal is to collect at least 100 items for the food bank.
“We did a tour once there and we noticed a lot of the shelves were empty,” said Bella. “And we felt very sorry for the people who use them because there wasn’t much, so we decided we would try to help them more.”
As customers walk into the store, they can bring food bank items directly to the Cups 4 Cans stand, or take a flier that lists the most-needed items at the food bank and take it with them as they shop, she said.
Bella is looking forward to spending the day at Sobeys and making a difference in the community.
“It’s really fun and by doing stuff like this, it makes us feel like, even though we’re young and even though most people that do things in the world are grownups, we can still make a change and we’re not just kids,” she said.
Will said he hopes other young entrepreneurs will take up the torch and run their own Cups 4 Cans with their lemonade stands, which typically stay tucked away in the garage or basement through the winter.
“Maybe someone else could maybe start something like this, and then it follows along,” said Will. “We might be able to start something that lots of other people with lemonade stands can do, too.”
Okotoks Food Bank executive director Sheila Hughes said she’s looking forward to Dec. 10, and seeing Cups 4 Cans get up and running. Lots of groups from Lemonade Day support the food bank with the portion of their earnings they donate to charity, she said, but it’s the first time one of the groups has come forward with an idea in the off-season.
“This is a very creative food drive,” said Hughes. “We love these kids, and this idea. I’m definitely going to visit and spend some time there with them.”
The need this year has increased with a slow economy, she said. In November about 130 families were helped by the food bank, which equates to more than 1,000 people fed, she said.
Personal care items top the list of needs right now, she said. Items like shampoo, conditioner, bodywash, razors and deodorant can be pricey for people on a strict budget. She said size 5 diapers are also in high demand.
“We can always use children’s lunch items, those are always really high on our list, especially protein items,” said Hughes. “We like to make sure children get lots of protein because that helps them learn.”
She said canned meals and goods are always appreciated, though adding the food bank is trying to reduce the amount of sodium families are receiving, because many are coming on a more regular basis.
No matter what the donation, she said every little bit helps. For every item collected or dollar raised, the food bank is able to purchase $3 worth of fresh produce and other perishable items, she said.
“We’re very lucky,” said Hughes. “This community is so generous and we’re so grateful for the support we receive. We’re very lucky.”
