An 8 year old girl's $80 donation from her lemonade stand to her local animal shelter has ignited a wave of generosity for animals in need.
Abby, a compassionate child with a love for animals, decided to donate the $80 she earned from her lemonade stand to the Kent County Animal Shelter in her native Grand Rapids Michigan. Then, her parents matched her earnings, the total donation rose to $160. In a heartfelt letter, Abby explained, "Maybe you can buy a toy or something for them," along with her contribution. You can see the letter she wrote accompanying her donation below.
"We received a special donation today," the post read, alongside a photo of the letter and donation. The story of Abby's selfless act quickly resonated with the community and beyond. People began matching her donation or contributing in her honor, inspired by her generosity.
One person commented, "I shared this on TikTok, and a lot of people have matched Abby’s donation❤️ I wish she could see how many people think she’s amazing!!"
By the end of the day her $80 donation snowballed into something much larger, turning into over $700, and as the story spread, so did the support.
Three weeks later, the shelter reported that over $3,000 in matching donations had poured in from people all across the country—triple the amount they typically receive in a month. The outpouring of kindness didn’t stop there, as boxes filled with treats and toys were also sent to the shelter in Abby’s name.
"We often say that kindness is contagious, and in this instance, it has never been more true," said Kent County Animal Shelter Director Angela Hollinshead, who hopes the news of this overwhelming response gets back to Abby. "We really want Abby to see how amazing just a single act of kindness can be."