Desert Hot Springs lemonade stand teaches children lesson in dollars and kindness

A Desert Hot Springs boy thought he was in trouble with the police after opening a lemonade stand in front of his home hoping to earn a few extra dollars.

Lemonade stands teach children the value of money, and in this case, also gave a lesson in kindness.

Donovan Barlow inaugurated a lemonade store while looking for a way to shake off the stress of being stuck at home with only virtual school classes to attend.

"I have regular lemonade and pink lemonade," Barlow said, offering regular or pink lemonade with ice to his neighbors for $1.50 a glass.

One by one … customers started to arrive.

"We must support each other especially we Latinos," said a neighbor.

Donovan's roadside sales pitch grabbed the attention of four Desert Hot Springs Police Officers who got out of their patrol vehicles and approached Donovan and his mother.

"I thought they were coming to take away our job because you know right now they have a bad reputation," Donovan's mother Estela Rojas said.

But the officers were not looking to close the lemonade stand down. They were simply looking for a cool sip of sweet lemonade.

"It made us feel very good, you know positive that the police are not just bad if they want to help," said Rojas. "They let them get into their car. They gave them stickers," Rojas added.

Donovan says he realized that he does not need to be afraid of the police. "I was happy that not all of them are bad," he added.

His mother says she hopes to teach Donovan a lesson on the value of money and never expected her son's entrepreneurial effort would show the nobility of the police in their community.

"It makes me feel good that they are the ones who take care of us," Rojas said.

Little Donovan hopes to help his family with the money he earns from the lemonade.

A side note: In the state of California, children do not need permission for lemonade stops.