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Gresham girl's lemonade stand using profits to help others

Annabelle Tinio has been raising money for fellow students before the school year begins.

GRESHAM, Oregon — The last weeks of summer are melting away, but 12-year-old Annabelle Tinio is making the most of them. 

Her lemonade stand on NE Hale Drive in Gresham has seen plenty of customers since it opened at the beginning of August. She really has a perfect business model: her younger brother Jonathan stands out on the corner with a sign directing cars around the corner for drive-up service while she stays in the shade of the tent set up in their driveway.

Annabelle's mom, Mary Tinio, insisted that Annabelle learn some business lessons and apply for a permit with the city. +

"She said let's go to City Hall and let's get a permit," Mary said. 

Sure enough, they went down to City Hall and received an honorary business license for "Funky Fresh Lemonade," the name she chose for her stand.

Mary first suggested Funky Lemonade. But Annabelle knew her audience, "She said you have to put 'fresh' because it catches people's eyes,” said Mary.

The city waived the fee for the permit, which expires on Sept. 1, right before the school year starts. 

Which is a date coming up fast for families, especially those who struggle to get their students the supplies they need for a new year. "All she thinks about is other people," Mary said.

It's easy to see that this is more than just a lemonade stand. As the lemonade pitchers empty and the tip jar fills, she's donating all her profits to students at her old school, Powell Valley Elementary School. "I know there are people that don’t have that much money to pay for school supplies," said Annabelle. 

She'll squeeze every penny to help as many kids as she can that have a hard time coming up with the needed supplies for a new school year. "When she has money, she shares it. So I’m really proud of her," said Mary.

Funky Fresh Lemonade is located at 65 NE Hale Drive. They're usually open from 11 a.m. -4 p.m. Just look for the signs on the corner of NE Hale and 1st Street in Gresham.

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