Young Philanthropists to Host Lemonade Stand

Sophie & Lila, two soon-to-be eight year olds, will be selling pink lemonade, popcorn and popsicles this Sunday from 1 pm to 3 pm outside First United Church of Oak Park,  with the proceeds benefiting Housing Forward. These young philanthropists are two of our most loyal supports, and we'd like to invite everyone to stop by and have a snack.

A short backstory on how this came to be:

When Sophie was in preschool, she began making lunches with her class for the PADS Shelter. She enjoyed it so much that she got her entire family to sign up soon after. The family is now in their third year of volunteering, and often invites a friend to help in the process. On Sophie's fifth birthday, she decided to start a biennial tradition of accepting food for Housing Forward clients in lieu of more traditional presents. 

Last summer, for Sophie's seventh birthday, Lila gave Sophie money to be donated to Housing Forward, which she earned with her sister selling jewelry and giving manicures to neighbors. Sophie and Lila visited our offices and were given a tour of the Support Center and offices.

Following their visit, a social enterprise was born. The girls began planning, and decided to sell bracelets, bubbles, stickers, and other similar items to their neighbors. They set up a table on their block, and were open for business. When business was slow, they went door-to-door to sell their merchandise. All told, they raised close to $50, which they presented to Housing Forward last December during another visit to the Support Center.

We're excited they are so passionate about helping those in need, and look forward to a continued partnership with them. We hope you'll join us on Sunday and support them as they give back to their community!