About three years ago, in Sunday School at HPUMC, my brother Wyatt and I heard about the work our church was doing as Carpenters for Christ with Habitat for Humanity. We both loved the idea and wanted to build a house with them, but we were too young and could not build. But our hearts said that we needed to make a difference, so we did.

We made a lemonade stand and gave the proceeds to Habitat for Humanity.

We were happy to see that most people gave much more than the normal cost of a glass of lemonade. Then a year passed by, and we thought we could do it again and make it a tradition. So, we held a second lemonade stand, this time with homemade bookmarks too.

This year marks three years strong. Not only has it become a tradition, but we love doing it, and it’s the right thing to do.

Why do Wyatt and I continue the stand each year? It’s simple. My brother and I both love to give people what they need. We can’t imagine ourselves living without shelter. Our home is our safe place, where we are together as a family. We want to give people what they are lacking. One of the reasons we chose Habitat for Humanity through HPUMC’s Carpenters for Christ was because it gave families who needed shelter a place to call home.

The response to our lemonade stand has been great! Wyatt and I love that our neighbors, family, and friends are so generous. You see all these articles talking about how cell phones have made people in the world more selfish, but our lemonade stand proves otherwise. Most people will gladly donate, especially when we explain to them what Habitat for Humanity is. Sometimes we would get a person at our stand who gave us a lot of money and didn’t even want a lemonade! During our last sale, we included our old toys and books, along with lemonade and cookies, and made everything free. But no one, and I mean no one, came to our sale without donating.

Since Wyatt and I have done the stand for three years now, we have raised hundreds of dollars. That may seem like a lot, but there is always more to be done.

Before I had heard of Habitat for Humanity, Wyatt and I gave out blessing bags (we still do). Blessing bags are Zip-Lock bags that are full of good snacks and other necessities for the homeless, like chips, granola bars, water, and socks. Our family always keeps a blessing bag in our car just in case we see a homeless man or woman. The reason Wyatt and I give out blessing bags is because we have been blessed with so much, we want to be a blessing to others. When we do this, we hope to spread God’s message of love to others.

Habitat for Humanity means much more than just a charity to me. It is hard to describe how I feel about it. It’s part of me, and I feel I should help people who need homes. I love everything about Habitat for Humanity’s mission: “Seeking to put God’s love into action, Habitat for Humanity brings people together to build homes, communities, and hope.” It is a great idea to help the homeless, and it has our great HPUMC community behind it.

For three years, Owen (11-years-old) and his brother Wyatt (10-years-old) have raised hundreds of dollars for Carpenters for Christ, a program through Highland Park United Methodist Church. The boys have inspired countless others through their selfless generosity. You can help Owen and Wyatt’s efforts to make a difference by giving to Carpenters for Christ! All donations, big or small, will go toward providing the materials needed to build the next home with Habitat for Humanity.