11-year-old sets up lemonade stand to help single mothers during the pandemic

Cartier Carey's humble lemonade stand set up in a Hampton neighborhood at the corner of Hardy Cash and Peabody Drive has been catching a lot of attention lately and for all the right reasons. The 11-year-old made headlines for his heartwarming and tireless efforts to provide relief for single mothers during these distressing times after recognizing the extreme emotional and financial pressure the pandemic has placed on families. "I wanted to help mothers who were struggling," said the inspiring young man who rallied up his community to raise money for diapers and wipes for mothers in need.

According to CNN, Cartier raised close to $3,000 in just three days by selling lemonade and other tasty treats. The lemonade stand is the latest in his strive to do good in his community and is a part of his non-profit organization, Kids 4 Change 757. He founded the non-profit about a year ago to "help the community and make the community better" and aims to "inspire the youth around the world" through his efforts. And that's exactly what he's been doing every day while selling lemonade to passersby.

"I saw the sign. When I saw the sign [that said] 'donate,' I donated. I didn't ask any questions. I didn't want to buy anything. I just gave," Juanita Staton, who happened to pass by, told WTKR. Meanwhile, customers like Mary Adams are impressed that an 11-year-old is behind all of this. "I feel that's really good, and I'm really glad they're aware things like that are going on in the world—that single mothers might not be able to support their kids on their own and they're trying to help," she said.

"I wanted to help single mothers during this pandemic because they're struggling and doing everything on their own," said Cartier. "It makes me feel happy because God wants you to do exactly what we're doing right now. He wants you to help the community and make the community better." The teen's mother, Britany Stewart, revealed that her son's altruistic drive has always been part of him. "We're very proud," she said, explaining that "he has always wanted to help," and that his desire continues to grow as he gets older. 

"He doesn't want to spend any of the money on himself. He just wants to continue to keep buying diapers and giving each day," Stewart said of the money Cartier raised through the lemonade stand. She also explained that she only plays a small role in her son's efforts to help others. "Well, actually the money they've made... at the end of the night, they'll go to Walmart, buy more diapers and then they'll buy new stuff to sell the next day. So, it's pretty much them; we're just their transportation," she said.

Before coming up with the idea to help single mothers, the youngster created care packages called "Carti packs" for the homeless earlier this year. The packs consisted of water, hand sanitizer, crackers, Tylenol, Vienna sausages, deodorant, socks, hand warmers, and other items.

The teen revealed that he feels rewarded by seeing his impact on the people around him. "It makes me feel happy that I'm actually helping people," he said. Cartier has received messages of gratitude from many of those he has supplied and says that knowing he is making a difference encourages him to continue his work in the community. "It's just... it's just his character - that's just Cartier," said Stewart. "He's always been like that."