Girl continues to pay it forward, donates to local shops on Small Business Saturday

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    Kirkwood, MO (KMOV) — A 10-year-old Kirkwood girl continues to help small businesses with money she made selling face masks.

Noa Vazquez, 10, began sewing cloth face masks with her mom earlier this spring. To start, she sold some of the masks on her own, while giving the rest to Sammy Soap, a locally owned Kirkwood store. There, the store is able to keep 100 percent of the proceeds it makes selling Vazquez’s masks.

In September, we first spoke to the 10-year-old, after she brought in nearly $20,000 in mask sales. Now, she said she believes the total is closer to $25,000.

“I either donate the money, or pick out stuff to donate money,” she said.

With the proceeds from the mask sales, Vazquez travels around to small businesses and buys products or offers a cash tip. When she buys items, she pays it forward by donating them to local first responders, teachers and health care workers.

“They’re usually surprised because it’s not all the time you see a 10-year-old kid come in and donate,” she said.

On Small Business Saturday, Vazquez started her day at C. Oliver Coffee Shop in Maplewood. There, she bought her favorite drink and tacked on a $100 tip.

Then, she made her way to KaKao Chocolate, where she shopped for gifts for her teachers this holiday season.

After bagging up her purchases, she stopped at Maven, a bath and candle shop in Maplewood.

“If there’s any good that has come out of this pandemic, it’s how kind people are, how authentic people are and it’s really awe inspiring, especially to see the little ones,” said Kate Bethel, owner of Maven Bath and Candle Company.

Vazquez’s final stop of the day took her to Ferguson, where one of her favorite popcorn shops just opened. Pop Pop Hurray opened in October and offers gourmet popcorn to customers.

“It was important to me to have it in the community, to be part of the community and something they can be proud of in the community,” said owner Tony Davis.

Davis, who grew up in North County, said he has received a lot of support from community members. Many businesses have left Ferguson in recent years, but Davis said he is committed to helping the community thrive.

“I want to show young people you can be an entrepreneur and own your own business, that it is possible,” he said.

Vazquez estimates she’s donated to 40 area small businesses and said she has no plans of stopping until she has reinvested all of the money back into local stores.

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