Eight-year-old boy goes from homeless to homeowner in LA after plant business takes off. Photo / Instagram
Eight-year-old boy goes from homeless to homeowner in LA after plant business takes off. Photo / Instagram
An American family who fell on hard times and had to live in a shed have turned the tables, making enough money to move out of homelessness and possibly even buy their own place.
It's all thanks to the eight-year-old son, Aaron Moreno.
The first-grader started his own plant business which soon became Insta-famous. This then attracted more people to their GoFundMe Page.
They've now amassed over US$40,000 (NZ$57,718) in savings since the coronavirus began.
Single mum Berenice Pacheco lost her job in March because of the coronavirus, giving her and her three children no choice but to live in a shed in East Los Angeles.
At the height of a LA summer, they were forced to endure incredibly hot conditions.
"As a mother, it broke my heart. I felt like I was failing my kids," Pacheco said.
"The playground always made them happy, but then the playgrounds shut down," she said.
"We were stuck in that shed."
Out of desperation, in March Pacheco gave her son everything she had — $12 — after his suggestion that he start his own business selling plants.
The business soon captured the public's imagination. Photo / Instagram
"I told him to invest the money," Pacheco recalled.
It's hard to turn a profit with so little, but Aaron managed it.
He bought eight miniature succulents for $12. They sold for $16.
Over the next several months, he continued doing this. Every little profit helped.
As well as up-marking the prices of the plants slightly, little Aaron also received tips from generous customers. Soon he had amassed hundreds of dollars in profits.
