In the heart of Greenup, Illinois, 11-year-old Josie Boswell has carved out a reputation as not only a budding entrepreneur but also a compassionate soul committed to uplifting her Cumberland County community.
“I’ve witnessed so many people lending a hand to others, and I’ve always aspired to be someone they remember as truly helpful,” Josie said with a maturity beyond her years.
While Josie resides in Greenup, she frequently visits Charleston. Moved by the damage she saw from the severe storms, Josie felt compelled to act. Fortuitously, she already owned a lemonade stand.
“We decided that rather than keeping the money ourselves, we would donate it to families affected by the tornado,” Josie explained, showcasing her selflessness.
Josie’s mom, Ruthie Boswell, said her daughter’s little lemonade stand brought in big bucks.
“She just wanted to raise $100, is all, to help the people she could, and it just blew up from there,” Ruthie said. “We are actually at 4,000 today.”
And she said they wouldn’t have gotten that far without the help of their neighbors.
“We have had so many, not just money donations, but people coming and dropping off lemonade or dropping off cups,” said Ruthie.
Josie sees the support and said it’s refreshing.
“I’m really happy and stuff that I can like trust my community and understand that they can really help me if I need it,” said Josie.