NewsPositively Hampton Roads

Actions

First lemonade, now diapers: Hampton boy collects Christmas gifts for people in need

Posted at 4:18 AM, Dec 16, 2020
and last updated 2020-12-19 10:15:50-05

HAMPTON, Va. - Cartier Carey received our People Taking Action award before hitting national news for his lemonade stand over the summer.

He has raised a whopping $45,000 to buy diapers to give to single mothers.

"I wanted to help single mothers during this pandemic," Carey said in June.

Carey, just 11 years old, is not doing these deeds for the spotlight.

"I never thought people would interview me or put me on all these shows," he said.

The lemonade stand was so successful he’s now moving on to toys.

"We have everything from kitchen toy sets, slime, bikes, footballs, Barbies, drum sets," he said as he showed us the mountain of gifts he's collected.

His nonprofit Kids 4 Change 757 is playing the roles of Santa's elves this year.

"It makes me feel like a wonderful person. I am actually helping people and saving a lot of lives," said Carey.

He will be giving out the toys this weekend.

"We want to help kids who have not had the best Christmases," he said.

Growing up in Hampton, Carey says he's seen too many people working to make ends meet.

"I said, 'Why not just help them instead of seeing them struggle?" said Carey.

This weekend, he and his friends will hand toys out to low-income families in Newport News.

"You are never too old or too young. You can always help out the community - make them feel happy just like you are happy," he said.

If you want to help, you can do so by purchasing something off the nonprofit's Amazon wish list or by sending something via Cash App at $kids4change757 or Venmo at @kids4change757.