Young people have a way of surprising us with their ability to use their brains AND their hearts to get the job done when adults sometimes falter.

Learning of the plight of staff and volunteers at the Humane Society of the Ohio Valley trying to properly care for HUNDREDS of animals filling their shelter, 8-year-old Autumn Hughes organized a lemonade stand and caught the attention of Texas Roadhouse to help support her effort. She ended up raising more than $1,000.

“She loves animals and she enjoys doing her lemonade stands,” her dad, Jacob, said. She also appears to already be a driven leader who knows how to bring an idea to life and get things done when she’s on a mission.

From delegating tasks such as sign-making to putting to good use the other resources that became available to her — and setting a realistic goal that she then knocked out of the park, Autumn certainly proved herself a powerful ally to the HSOV. She used the money she raised to purchase supplies such as cat and dog food, cleaning supplies, pet toys, treats and more and donated them to the shelter.

Autumn and her family also showed their determination to help by adopting a beagle named Baxter to bring into the family.

Kudos to her (and all those who helped her meet her goal to support the shelter). And thank you, Autumn, for wanting to help and knowing exactly how to do it.