In July 2016, 8-year old Hannah McKellar had her 4th Annual Hunger Hero lemonade stand to help benefit Gleaners Community Food Bank. In just three days, she raised $400 alone and with a match from a small business, she was able to donate $800 to Gleaners. Thanks to the Hunger Free Summer match from Citizens Bank, Hannah raised 4,800 meals to help feed hungry kids this summer!
But how exactly does someone become a Hunger Hero so young? When Hannah was just 4 years-old, one of her neighborhood friends had her own lemonade stand and earned $50. Inspired, Hannah wanted to do the same – but she and her family decided that Hannah didn’t need $50 just for herself and instead decided she would raise money for a good cause.
Soon after they decided to host a lemonade stand for charity, Hannah’s family went on vacation and, caught up in the fun and activity, they forgot to eat lunch one day. Hannah said her belly really hurt and that she felt sick – but they were quickly able to remedy that by buying food to eat. Hannah’s mom told her that not everyone was so lucky; some kids feel like that regularly because they don’t get enough to eat at home. Hannah was distraught by this information because she couldn’t imagine being hungry all the time and decided right away that she wanted her lemonade stand proceeds to help hungry people in need. A little bit of research and familiarity with the Stamp Out Hunger food drive helped aid Hannah’s decision to donate her proceeds to Gleaners – and the rest is history!
For the past four years, Hannah has held her annual lemonade stand to help hungry neighbors and in 2016, she provided 8 times the amount of meals she raised in her first year. She raised 600 meals in 2013; 2,100 meals in 2014; and 3,000 meals in 2015, exceeding her goal every single year. We are so grateful for Hannah’s hard work and generosity and inspired by her kind heart and dedication.