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We Can Be Heroes

8-Year-Old Girl Aims To End Human Trafficking With Lemonade Stand

by Jill Pantozzi | 12:35 pm, August 16th, 2012


Vivienne Harr is like a lot of 8-year-old girls from California; she hangs out with her friends, likes glitter, and has a lemonade stand. There’s just one difference between Harr and other kids – the money from her lemonade stand is going towards ending human trafficking. In her own words, “I am Vivienne. I am making a stand. A lemonade stand. And, a stand against slavery.” 

You can read more of Harr’s words (usually typed by her dad) at her blog, MakeAStandLemonade.com. It’s gotten international attention since Yahoo picked up on the story after learning how much she had raised for the nonprofit group Not For Sale, an organization working to end slavery around the world. On top of the intent, which is impressive enough, Harr has a pretty lofty goal.

“I will sit at my lemonade stand every day–rain or shine–until i raise $150,000 for: not for sale an organization that is ‘re-abolishing’ slavery,” Vivienne writes on her website. “When you buy #MAKEASTAND! lemonade, you aren’t just buying a drink, you are MAKING A STAND! 100% of our profits go to not for sale.” She also describes her inspiration:

I was on a trip to Sonoma, California with my family. We walked into an art gallery and we all went silent when we saw the work of Lisa Christine. It was beautiful and sad at the same time. It told the story of slaves and I learned that there are almost 30 million slaves in the world today including a lot in America! I thought that was illegal and didn’t exist anymore. I thought it had ended with the Civil War. I was wrong. It is wrong. So, I decided I would make a stand against it. I didn’t know how, but I knew I would make a stand.

Harr gets help from her mom to make the lemonade each day and her dad has been teaching her about social media to spread the word. She even gets her friends involved. “If my friends did not come out that day, I would not have been able to raise as much money and spread as much awareness and have as much fun!” she wrote. “We are just kids. But, we are mighty. And, I’ve heard that the wings of a butterfly can start a hurricane. That’s what me and my friends intend to do.”

Harr currently sits at just over $15,000 in donations. And yes, not all of them came in person to get a glass of lemonade - you can donate online. “There are bad things like slavery in our world. But there is so much good in our world, too,” she writes. “So many kind people. Like you. And we will win.”

(via Yahoo)

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  • http://revolvingdoorcommune.wordpress.com Teresa Jusino

    I LOVE it when kids not only care about problems they see, but try and do something about it, and the grown-ups in their lives help them do it, or at least don’t tell them they can’t.

    AWESOME. Suddenly, I desperately need some lemonade… :)

  • http://www.facebook.com/philcenedella Philip James Cenedella

    One of the best stories I have heard!   GREAT JOB LADIES!!!!!!!!  Keep up the good work!!!  phil at http://www.stopslavery2012.com 

  • http://profile.yahoo.com/2FWBF4JECEUSJKVW3I6WPD36DE Fran

    Go girl! When a little girl sells lemonade, I don’t care who you are, you buy that sh*t.

  • Anonymous

    VERY inspiring! So nice to see kids with the confidence to feel like they can change the world. And she’s already doing it!

  • http://profile.yahoo.com/KGPKSBUXJSIFIGY4NHYRSG27DM Shania

    These girls are beyond their years. It makes me really happy to people making stands.

  • http://twitter.com/DGSPhotography DGSPhotography

    8yr olds don’t think this stuff up…come on man!  She didn’t just wake up one morning and say “you know, I want to re-abolish slavery”!  Don’t get me wrong, Its a great thing for kids to get involved in as long as it doesn’t go too deep.  Kids like her are far and few between.  I’ll bet her parents are in on it “wink, wink”. Still she is no expert on slavery, but she knows something is not right about it.  Now a day’s all it takes to get your point across is a will, a cute face and crowd sourcing.  Bravo.  

  • http://www.facebook.com/Sarakenobi Sara Fires Rodgers

    my kids don’t understand what love is beyond their affection for their parents and friends and other family members, but they don’t think it’s right that 2 men can’t get married.  they want to do something about it.  I think it’s probably the same thing. only she is a bit older than my kids.  I don’t think it’s wrong or crazy for an 8 year old to think”wow, this is wrong, I wish I had some money to give to this place to stop this Bad Thing” and her parents thought “well actually….”

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