Family Lives In Shed Until Clever 8-Year-Old Boy Finds Novel Solution

Nov 25, 2020

The saying goes: if you put your mind to something and work hard for it, anything is possible. When single mom Berenice Pacheco found herself in a challenging situation, she had no idea that her son would step up and support the family. Eight-year-old Arron Moreno, from California, went above and beyond to help his family when the pandemic meant his mom lost her job. Through intelligent investment and business practices, the boy was eventually able to provide a new home for his family through his earnings and donations by inspired good samaritans.

Berenice Pacheco and her family fell on hard times at the beginning of this year, just as the coronavirus pandemic first swept the nation. She lost her job in March 2020 and had to move her three children into a shed in East Los Angeles to make ends meet, reports TODAY. 

"We didn't have any other options," she said. 

The shed had no access to the internet nor appropriate furniture for her children to complete their homework. Furthermore, the family would use the bathroom at a nearby restaurant and could only shower, all the while dealing with the unbearable heat of the shed. Pacheco said the situation broke her heart and that she felt like she was failing her children as a mother. 

The restrictions on social life that came with the pandemic made the situation worse for everyone. 

"The playground always made them happy, but then the playgrounds shut down," she told TODAY. "We were stuck in that shed." 

With money being so tight, Pacheco couldn't afford to buy her children treats either. The fact that a food truck would pass by the neighborhood every afternoon with her son Aaron's favorite snack, Hot Cheetos topped with melted cheese, made it all the more heartbreaking. 

"He wanted it so badly," Pacheco said. "But I needed to pay the phone bill and do the laundry." 

She then somewhat jokingly told Aaron that he could start a business of his own to buy his own snacks, but didn't expect that he would that idea and run with it. He was determined that he would do something and began to brainstorm. Pacheco told TODAY that he came up with the idea to sell plans, so she gave him the remaining $12 in her wallet. "I told him to invest the money," Pacheco said. 

Aaron got straight to work. In March, he purchased eight miniature succulent plants with all of his money. After selling his plants, he ended up with $16 –  a modest $4 profit. It seemed as though he was going in the right direction.

He bought and sold even more plants with his earning, and customers often also tipped him, which added to his profits. Today, the smart 8-year-old has made hundreds of dollars worth of savings from his small business. Another welcome side-effect of starting his business was internet fame, which brought him more than 30,000 Instagram followers. 

This month, thanks to Aaron's hard work, as well as donations to his GoFundMe account, and Pacheco's new part-time job, this family has made their way into a better life. According to the GoFundMe account's description, it was started by Pacheco's friend from high school as a way to support the struggling family.

 It has certainly paid off and currently has over $50,000 in donations. The money helped the family to move into a one-bedroom apartment earlier this month. 

"We finally have our own kitchen. Aaron and his sister have a place to do homework," Pacheco gushed to TODAY. "It's not big but it feels huge to us." The new funds also helped Pacheco to bring her daughter, Aaron's sister Ayleen Pacheco to California from Mexico, where she lived with her grandmother due to financial constraints, reports PEOPLE. 

Even at just 8-years-old, Aaron Moreno is going places. On Instagram, he writes, "My next job after having my own plant shop will be working for nike and making my own shoes and then I plan to go to the university so I can become a judge," as per TODAY. 

We have no doubt that Aaron is destined for great things in the future!

After being the recipients of so much generosity from others, Pacheco and her family want to give back. "We are together, we have a house," said Pacheco to NBC Los Angeles." The community really helped us and now we donate toys to Mexico to try and demonstrate however faded a situation may seem, the sun rises every morning."

Congratulations to Aaron Moreno for starting a successful business at such a young age! We wish him the very best for his future. Let us know your thoughts below about Aaron's success, and be sure to pass this on to your friends to inspire them as well!