9-Year-Old Boy Donates $2,000 In Lemonade Stand Profits To Make Shelter Cats ‘Happy’

Apr 23, 2022 by apost team

It’s never too early or too late to start performing random acts of kindness. Doing something good for others is a great feeling and a great way to help those in need. Whether it be volunteering at a non-profit organization or spending time caring for animals at an animal shelter, there are plenty of wonderful opportunities to give back to those who need it most.

A 9-year-old boy from Idaho named Ben Miller has already shown just how much he cares for living creatures – specifically cats. He loves the animal with all of his heart. Because of this, Ben really wanted to do something to help as many cats as possible. What better way to make some extra change than doing what most children do during the spring and summertime: open a lemonade stand.

The 9-year-old boy has been operating his lemonade since 2019, although he took a break in 2020 due to safety concerns and regulations regarding the pandemic. Fortunately, Ben’s love for cats has only continued to grow and so has his lemonade stand profits.

Rather than pocketing all of that cash for himself to go out and buy the latest video game or newest toy, Ben decided that he wanted to do his part to give back to others. In this case, the ones he is giving back to are some furry friends at the Idaho Humane Society – cats!

While he’s already raised close to $2,000 in donations to go toward supplies for shelter cats, Ben is nowhere near close to being done with helping out his furry friends.

For as long as he can remember, Ben has been an animal lover. He loves animals of all kinds, but cats are especially his favorite. Back in 2019, the young boy decided that he wanted to do something to help his feline friends.

According to CNN, Ben started a lemonade stand to raise money with the intention of donating it to the Idaho Humane Society to help out with their shelter cats. The idea first came to mind when Ben was visiting the shelter with his grandmother. 

“I saw that some cats didn’t have toys,” he said. While Ben already knew he wanted to open a lemonade stand that summer, he decided that he would do something important with the profits and donate them to the Idaho Humane Society so they could buy food, toys and other supplies for the cats there. The money also goes toward veterinary care.

Amy Miller told CNN that Ben spent hours selling lemonade and lavender lemonade, as well as cookies and other desserts, to help raise money. In 2019, Ben raised $200 in donations. He had to take a break from the project in 2020 due to safety concerns regarding the pandemic, but was more than happy to re-open his lemonade stand in 2021. That year, he raised $600.

Kristine Schellhaas is the communications manager for the Idaho Humane Society and has been extremely moved by Ben’s efforts to help with the shelter’s cats. “We’re in the middle of kitten season,” she explained. “We go through a ton of supplies. In some weeks in the summer, it’s not uncommon to adopt between 60 and 90 kittens a week. That’s a lot of life-saving care that we do.”

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In early April 2022, Ben surpassed his previous lemonade stand profits and was able to give a large donation to the shelter. According to CNN, he raised $1,150, bringing his grand total over the years to $1,950.

The staff and volunteers at the shelter have continued to show their gratitude for Ben’s efforts to help with the animals there, as well as the efforts of anyone who donates or helps out in some capacity.

On Apr. 6, 2022, the Idaho Humane Society shared a Facebook post that read:

“Ben stopped by last week, smiling from ear to ear, and dropped off the funds raised from this year’s lemonade stand. It all started three years ago at the age of 7 when Ben decided he could make a difference to homeless animals … and boy, has he!”

A video from KTVB showed Ben handing over his donation in a plastic bag and explaining how he was able to raise so much money. He said, “Well, they knew that we were donating it all to the animals so we could give them supplies and food and just stuff so they can be happier.” Ben said the main goal he wanted to accomplish was to just make the animals “happy.”

Ben’s mom added, “He’s always had a big heart. But it really just blew me away.” According to CNN, Ben hopes to bring his lemonade back in 2023. Animal lovers can also send him donations via Venmo if they are unable to physically visit his lemonade stand.

What do you think about this young boy’s business venture to help out shelter cats? Let us know, and be sure to pass this inspiring story along to your family members and friends.