Many 6-year-olds would be thinking nonstop about what they could buy with the profits from their lemonade stand.

But our youngest donor, Nanette, is not your average child. She donated the earnings from her first neighborhood lemonade stand to her local animal shelter, Marin Humane Society.

Nanette got the idea from lessons she learned from her parents. Natalie and Paul wanted to instill in Nanette the idea of giving through earned income converted into a donation. Natalie and Paul were exposed to the values of charity throughout their childhoods and in church.

Nanette was so inspired by her act of giving that she wanted to donate on a larger scale. She and her mother approached Nanette’s Girl Scout troop with the idea of a big lemonade sale.

The group of 13 girls grossed $340 from their lemonade stand and by unanimous decision donated the money to the same animal shelter. They liked the idea of a long-term commitment and supporting the stray cats and dogs in their community.

What got the troop really excited was how many dogs and cats they could feed with the money. A week of pet food for an animal was $35. To top that, when the girls went to visit the shelter and give their donation, they also brought leashes and more food, along with dog and cat toys.

The next community project for Nanette and her troop? Volunteering. The girls are too young to volunteer formally, so Natalie and the other moms are identifying effective and strategic options to have their daughters meaningfully engaged in giving of their time. As a result, the girls will spend time with the elderly residents in their neighborhood.

And so it goes. From one literal lemon we can see how the lessons of giving can influence one child and spread to those around her. Nanette, with help from her mother, has used her family’s values to set in motion a culture of caring in her neighborhood.

A glass of lemonade anyone?

Photos courtesy of Natalie S.