Summer 2020 was unlike any other. Several restrictions due to the pandemic hindered people from participating in community events and activities. As a result, many people got creative and figured out alternative plans to make their summer the best it could possibly be.

Last year, a group of five kids joined together to run a lemonade stand. Siblings Olivia, Eliot, and Isaac Bauermaster and their neighbors William and Carson Lefever live at the end of Stanton Road in Quarryville. They call themselves the Cul-De-Sac Lemonade Kids. Due to the success of the lemonade stand, the group spent the winter season planning for summer 2021. It was also at this time that they decided to donate 10% of their earnings to Solanco Neighborhood Ministries (SNM).

"We knew they did a bunch of things to help other kids," said William. "We wanted to donate our money to them so they could continue to do that."

Located in Quarryville at 355 Buck Road, SNM has been around for nine years. The ministry's mission is to provide a support network, promote personal and spiritual growth, increase self-sufficiency, and break the cycle of poverty within the Solanco community. SNM connects families and individuals with resources that are intended to ensure their sustainability and suspend the crisis they're experiencing.

Dressed in their self-designed T-shirts, the Cul-De-Sac Lemonade Kids ran their stand several times over the course of summer 2021. Each time, they served four gallons of homemade lemonade. Olivia noted that Fridays were their best days. The group members alternated roles, but they each had their favorite. William mentioned he enjoyed advertising, while Olivia said she liked serving customers.

After presenting SNM with a donation of $528.70, the Cul-De-Sac Lemonade Kids toured the nonprofit. "We learned that they're extremely generous," stated Olivia.

The group learned a lot through this experience. "They're entrepreneurs," stated Katie Lefever, the mother of William and Carson. "Last year, they were coming up with business ideas ... because they wanted to make money to buy their own things." Fourth-grader William noted he is saving up to buy a car.

The Cul-De-Sac Lemonade Kids might return next summer.

To learn more about SNM, readers may visit http://www.solanconeighborhoodministries.org, call 717-786-4308, or email office@SNMinistries.org.