As a parent, you want the best life for your kids. You want to give them everything they need to make sure that they are able to grow in a safe and happy place.
When Berenice Pacheco, a single mother from Los Angeles, lost her job due to the pandemic, she knew it would be extra hard to provide for her kids’ needs.
With no work and enough money, she had to move her kids into a shed. It wasn’t an easy decision for her.
She shared:
“We didn’t have any other options”.
The family had to sleep in really hot conditions. Whenever they need to shower, they had to do it outside. To use the bathroom, they had to go to a nearby restaurant. It was a heartbreaking experience for a mom.
Bernice’s pain didn’t end there.
The single mom dreaded the idea of the food truck passing by. It sold her son Aaron’s favorite snack- Hot Cheetos.
She shared:
“It’s just $3, but when you have kids and you don’t have a job, it can make all the difference.”
One day, as she was talking to her son, she half-jokingly mentioned that Aaron should start his very own business.
That way, he could buy his favorite Hot Cheetos without asking mom for money. The 8-year-old boy took his mom’s suggestion seriously. He sat down and started brainstorming.
Aaron came up with a brilliant idea.
At that time, Bernice only had $12. Even though it was all she had, she still gave all of it to his son. After receiving the money, the boy got to work.
Aaron purchased 8 miniature succulents.
After buying the plants, he immediately set up a table right outside their place. He sold every single plant and earned a $4 profit.
He continued to invest in more plants.
Each day for months, he and his mom would leave the house at 6:00 am to go to the flower district. There, the two spent time searching for plants that his customers might like.
Surprisingly, he was able to sell every single one of them. His customers kept buying the plants with most of them tipping him.
Bernice posted photos of his son and his business on Instagram.
Soon after, Aaron was flooded with hundreds of requests from people expressing interest in buying his plants.
One of Bernice’s high school friends also started a GoFundMe to help the business. It’s able to raise more than $65,000 and the number continues to increase.
Because of his hard work, his family doesn’t have to struggle as much as before.
In fact, with the money he’s making from Aaron’s Garden and the money that was raised from GoFundMe, Aaron was able to move his family into a one-bedroom apartment.
Bernice shared:
“We finally have our own kitchen. Aaron and his sister have a place to do homework. It’s not big but it feels huge to us.”
A couple of months later, the boy was also able to buy a car for his mother. It’s her first car in about four years.
Reuniting the family
In 2018, Bernice had to send her daughter Ayleen to Mexico to live with her family. Struggling financially, she thought sending her daughter there could make things better for all of them.
She shared:
“As an undocumented person, I didn’t have many laws to protect me. When I lost my jobs, I didn’t get a stimulus, I didn’t get unemployment. I was on my own and I would stay up at night trying not to cry so my kids wouldn’t hear me. I wanted to sleep my life through.”
Aaron used the money he earned to bring her sister home. Now, their family is complete and they’re able to enjoy a better and happier life together.
Aaron’s future
The 8-year-old boy isn’t done yet. At such a young age, he already knows what he wants to do in the future.
He shared:
“My next job after having my own plant shop will be working for nike and making my own shoes and then I plan to go to the university so I can become a judge.”
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