ALBANY (WJON News) -- An Albany girl is using her lemonade stand to help make a difference. Like a lot of kids, seven-year-old Parker Rosen has a lemonade stand to make money in the summer, however, Parker uses the money she raises to help different causes in the Albany area not for herself.

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Parker has raised money for five causes so far and her mom Erin says she helps give her choices but Parker decides on what the cause is in the end:

"We try to do local organizations, that's where we started so when we were first talking about starting the lemonade stand we had picked a local organization which was the Albany Fire Department and usually I give her like a few different choices to choose from just because she doesn't really know what's you know available to her around town but then she ultimately makes the decision."

Parker has raised money for the Albany Weekend Food Program, Albany Police Department, Albany Fire Department, to get an AED unit installed for the city, and for the Avon K9 Unit. Parker says she really liked being able to meet the Avon K9 dog Maverick:

"I didn't see them at first but then when my dad and me went there I saw K9 Maverick and I got to pet him!"

Erin says Parker will usually get ideas for what cause to raise money for by watching YouTube videos. Parker says she wanted to raise money for a Christmas Toy Drive First:

"One night when I ran up to my mom I wanted to say mommy mommy can I do lemonade stand but then I said I want to do a toy one but then she said do you want to do a different one then just toys."

Erin says it was kind of early in the year for a toy drive so they changed to the Albany Fire Department. She says Parker has received a special award for her efforts from the Albany Police Department too:

"For the Albany Police Department, she had raised $288 and when we went to go present it, the money to the department, Chief Ozzie had presented her with this Challenge Coin which he said he's only given out one other Challenge Coin in 10 years that he's been in the department."

Albany Police Chief Ozzie Carbajal says Challenge Coins are given if someone goes above and beyond to help or bless someone else that deserves recognition, and Parker has done that and has just a real caring and a passion to help others.

Parker has raised over $1,600 so far and sells a 12-ounce glass for 50 cents each. Erin says they use social media to get the word out about Parker's stand and she typically sells it at community events like Heritage Days, Pioneer Days, and the Farmers Market. Parker plans to sell lemonade for either St. Jude's Children's Hospital or the Coborn Cancer Center next.

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