Girl Scout Raises Money for Hurricane Recovery by Selling Lemonade and Hot Chocolate

When Nora Vavere learned about the devastation caused by Hurricane Milton in Sarasota County, and, in particular, its effects on children, she knew she needed to help. The Baltimore fifth-grader has been a member of Girl Scout Troop 2089 for six years, and she quickly developed a plan to help people affected by the storm. Beginning last October and lasting until April, she set up lemonade and hot chocolate stands in her neighborhood of Canton and chose the Community Foundation of Sarasota County as the recipient of the proceeds.

A $77.04 check from the Vavere family arrived at the foundation’s headquarters last month along with a handwritten note from Nora. “I wanted to donate this money to the Community Foundation to help people who were in the hurricane get food, rebuild, have water and a home, and be safe with their families,” she wrote.

“Nora’s compassion, her selflessness and her generosity deeply moved all of us at the Community Foundation,” said Jay Young, the foundation’s vice president of philanthropy. “We believe strongly that anyone can be a philanthropist, and Nora proves it. Through the simple act of selling lemonade and hot chocolate, she shows that everyone can give back in some way.”

When selecting an organization to support, Nora was driven by a desire to help families affected by Milton. The Community Foundation’s Suncoast Disaster Recovery Fund was created in 2022 in partnership with The Patterson Foundation as Hurricane Ian made landfall. Since then, nearly $10 million has been raised through the fund to help residents rebuild and recover. Nora’s donation will boost the fund just as another Atlantic hurricane season begins.