(September 25, 2018) St. Charles, MO… While it’s not unusual to see a summer lemonade stand on the tree-lined streets of St. Charles, it is unusual for all of the proceeds to be donated to help other children. That’s exactly what Castlio fifth grader Caroline Woodland did after she saw a need in her own school. “I raised money from lemonade stands and bake sales for the backpack program, and we also used a GoFundMe account,” said the 10-year-old entrepreneur. “My friend, she had to use the backpack program, they get food that’s easy to make and eat and it made me feel good to help her.”

 

The amount that Caroline raised was also out of the ordinary, and she was able to present a check to the school for $2,550. Principal Tim Scholle accepted the check and reflected on Caroline’s efforts. “She is a shining example of what kids at Castlio can do when they’re empowered to make a difference in the community. She is a student that has a caring heart and a lot of empathy for other students, she saw how the backpack program helped students and she wanted to help too. I’m very impressed with Caroline, she’s going to do great things in the future.”

 

Castlio partners with Harvester Christian Church to run the backpack program and provides food for 20-30 students each week. “It helps kiddos in need be able to bring home food for the weekend,” said Counselor Tiffany Nix. “Every Friday they get a backpack full of nutritious and easy to prepare food, breakfasts, and lunches, and they bring it back on Monday.”

Students were not the only ones that benefited from Caroline’s generosity. She set-up a stand at the Weldon Spring Independence Day Celebration, and sold lemonade, water, and sweets. The next day she took the extras to area first responders, including the St. Peters Police Department and the Cottleville Fire Protection District.

Philanthropy is nothing new to Caroline, she has established a pattern of generous behavior. “Last summer she raised $500 for the Humane Society, and this year she asked if she could raise money for her school,” said her mother, Beth Anderson. “She saw some of the kids getting food for the weekends, and she asked me if she could help. It makes me very proud!” Congratulations on a great display of Cougar character, Caroline!

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