Ana Victoria Cruz is a seven-year-old philanthropist who wants all girls to grow up strong, smart, and bold. Recently, Ana stopped by the Girls Inc. office with a generous donation of $74.00 representing the profits from her Lemonade Day stand. Lemonade Day is a national event that offers youth the opportunity to start, own, and operate their own business—a lemonade stand. It sparks an interest in entrepreneurship, financial literacy, and philanthropy at a young age.

Ana, with her mother Maria (a Girls Inc. volunteer), gives her $74.00 Lemonade Day earnings to Gabie Benson, director of development & PR.

Ana’s surprise gift reminds me of what we teach girls in our Economic Literacy program: Anyone can be a philanthropist. All it takes is a willingness to share your time, talents, or treasure to help others. We believe encouraging philanthropy is an important part of economic literacy. As we educate girls about managing money, we want them to understand that everyone has the power to make a difference in their community. You don’t have to be rich to be a philanthropist; you just have to be rich in your spirit and a desire to give back.

We were so delighted to meet Ana and receive her generous gift. With so many worthwhile charities in our community, it means so much to us that Ana chose Girls Inc. She’s truly a champion for girls!