Family of five forced to rely on lemonade stand as only source of income due to coronavirus pandemic

Erin Bailey lost her business and was unable to find a new job while her children were forced to stay at home by school closures

A family of five in Florida has revealed that their children’s lemonade stand has become their only source of income as a result of the coronavirus pandemic. 

Erin Bailey, a single mother to four children between the ages of six and 10 in Greenacres, Palm Beach County, was put out of her lawn care business when the pandemic swept the country in March, WPBF reported.

She told the outlet that due to school closures she was unable to find a new job as she had no one to care for her children.

Ms Bailey said that a lemonade stand the children had previously set up to raise pocket money had unwittingly become their only source of income.

“Things just got really difficult,” Ms Bailey said. “We started selling the lemonade basically to make sure we have what we need every day.”

Despite working long hours, the stand has not proved a sustainable source of income and Ms Bailey has said she has started to fall behind on bills and rent.

The mother of four explained that their savings have vanished and that her applications to the state and the county for assistance have been futile.

“You reach a point where you almost feel like you’ve run out of options and that you’re letting them down,” she said.

“To know that there’s a chance that we won’t have a place for them to call home, it’s terrifying."

For the time being, Ms Bailey said the family are just hoping to endure through the “rough patch” that they’re experiencing.

“We are the best team in the world. That’s for sure,” Ms Bailey said.