When life gives you lemons, make lemonade!
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Some kids just seem to be born with an entrepreneurial spirit. Take, for example, 8-year-old Rachel Mennett from Summerville, SC, who upon learning of the plight of wounded warrior Nicholas Bailey, jumped into action to help. “I wanted to help him because he helped our country,” Mennett explained on Fox and Friends.
Nick Bailey served in the United States Army for over a decade including two tours in Iraq. While there, he survived dual attacks from a rocket bomb leaving him with PTSD and spinal injuries. He now has permanent mobility issues, severe pain, and a difficult time going out alone in public due to his PTSD.
Bailey has a strong connection with his pet German shepherd, Abel, who he raised since Abel was a very young pup. Abel is very in tune with Nick’s physical and emotional conditions. He comforts Nick when he has nightmares and assists with certain task training skills.
Abel has already passed his public access test as well as received his Canine Good Citizens. Sadly, while out on a recent shopping trip, a box fell from a shelf, hitting Abel, now leaving him shaken and hesitant when he is out and about with Nick.
The Baileys are working to raise money through an Internet GoFundMe page to enroll Abel in a Myrtle Beach training school, Canine Angels. The program is designed to help dogs like Abel overcome fear, and teach them the necessary skills to act as a complete service dog. The cost of that training is nearly $6000.
Determined to help raise money for Nicholas Bailey’s cause, Rachel Mennett and her brother set up a lemonade shop in a Summerville pet store and along with the refreshing beverage, served up cookies and lots of smiles. Many people stopped for refreshments while others simply just donated to the cause.
According to Nicholas Bailey, "Nobody asked her if she wanted to do it, or told her that she needed to do it, she actually asked if she could do it. She’s not only helped us because of raising money at the lemonade stand, but because of her story, Americans have helped pitch in, as well.” When news of Mennett’s lemonade stand broke, it only took 14 hours for donations to the GoFundMe account to jump from $1,000 to $6,000.
Through the simple act of erecting a lemonade stand, Rachel Minnet and her brother helped raise awareness for the plight of an American hero. To date, $12,600 of the $15,000 goal has been raised through GoFundMe.com. Rachel intends to keep her lemonade stand open to help other veterans in need.
Parents can encourage their child’s entrepreneurial spirit by modeling financial responsibility and providing the tools needed to manage their success. It’s never too early to begin teaching children the life lesson of financial literacy.
FamilyMint.com can make that lesson easier by providing a fun and educational way for children, with the help of their parents, to manage money and build financial literacy through their easy and intuitive award-winning online money management application.
Sources:
http://www.foxnews.com/on-air/fox-and-friends/blog/2014/08/27/go-fund-me-service-dog-our-veteran
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