11-Year-Old Girl Launches Business While Mother Is Furloughed

GAITHERSBURG, MD — An 11-year-old girl from Gaithersburg has launched a business selling handmade sugar body scrubs while her mother, a U.S. Food and Drug Administration employee, is furloughed.

Hoping to bring in extra cash, Bella Berrellez founded Bella Sweet Scrubs when her mother, Jessica Berrellez, was furloughed from the FDA last month.

"I just came up with the idea because when I found out my mom was furloughed I was like, 'What can I do to help?,'" Bella told Good Morning America.

Bella began by selling her body scrubs to friends and neighbors, but has now expanded to a store on Etsy, the outlet reported. For $7 a pop, Bella has sold more than 500 homemade body scrubs since the partial government shutdown began.

Good morning Twitter! Bella’s Sweet Scrubs has hit 1,500 sales!! I feel so thankful & motivated. I’m in 5th grade & living my dreams. Time to rise & grind! #sundaymorningvibes #bellasweetscrubs #sweetscrubs pic.twitter.com/V1N4uAyyTe
— Bella Berrellez (@BellaBerrellez) January 20, 2019

Some 800,000 federal workers, like Jessica, are without a paycheck since parts of the government shut down on Dec. 22.

Since Bella's father has not lost his job, she has also decided to donate her profits to a food bank and help other families affected by the shutdown, The New York Times reported.

"My family is OK, and now I felt really, really happy and really good," Bella said, according to Voice of America. "And now I'm putting my money back into the business and also donating my money to Nourish Now."

Thanks @nourishnow for all the good work you do in our community. I loved touring your warehouse & am grateful for the opportunity to make a donation through the proceeds of Bella’s Sweet Scrubs. #sweetscrubs #girlCEO #kidphilanthropist #foodbank #foodrecycling #shutdownstories pic.twitter.com/0ICL0MCNWO
— Bella Berrellez (@BellaBerrellez) January 11, 2019

Nourish Now is a nonprofit that recovers food from donors, such as restaurants and grocers, and distributes it to people in need.

Bella's financial contribution will allow the organization to hand out an additional 200 meals, Brett Myers, the founder of Nourish Now, told Good Morning America.

Lead Image by Bella's Sweet Scrubs