By Jenny Riddle

“As I explained our adoption story to strangers, it renewed a joy and love for the way God put our family together. Here we were, raising money for an organization that cares for orphans as a former orphan was serving them lemonade.” Casey Stevens remembers the joy of his family’s experience hosting a Stand for Orphans®. The joy wasn’t simply in teaching his four sons to care for orphans around the world but was also in connecting his son Alek to the story of his adoption. 

A few months after Casey and his wife, Chesney, met at Mississippi College, they knew they wanted to spend their lives together. They even expressed interest in adopting someday. When they married in 2013, they were eager to start a family. Plans did not go how Casey and Chesney intended. Casey explains, “One doctor told us that we had less than 1% chance of ever conceiving. We grieved, but not without hope. . . . We saw this as God’s plan for us to pursue adoption.” In 2016, Casey and Chesney adopted Alek into their family from Kyrgyzstan. And then in 2017, 2020, and 2022, the Stevens welcomed biological sons—Micah, Jude, and Elijah. 

This house full of boys loves to be outside and work on projects together. Although working with three boys under 6-years-old can provide challenges, Casey explains that they “make sure to give ourselves enough time, and usually things come together in the end.” As the oldest, Alek is helpful and dependable for projects. Casey describes him as someone who “loves working with his hands, and he is pretty good at it.” 

When the Stevens learned about Stand for Orphans, they knew they would participate one day. They reasoned that “it seemed like a great way to not only teach our kids to care for others but also a way for Alek to find pride in helping the organization that helped him become our son.” So, when the time was right, they began planning. The boys were excited to help prepare and eager to serve. 

When deciding where to host their stand, the Stevens knew they needed to find somewhere besides their house since they live on a quiet street with little traffic. Casey approached some men in their church who own and manage their local Revell Ace Hardware store and asked if the family could set up their lemonade stand outside their store. Casey recalls, “They didn’t hesitate to say yes. They went out of their way to help make this a great experience.” For example, the store provided tents, chairs, fans, and a cool building in which to take breaks during the over-100° weather.

The Stevens family set up their lemonade stand outside the Revell Ace Hardware store for two consecutive Saturdays in July. The younger kids were primarily responsible for filling drinks using the lemonade dispenser. Alek was their “set up and tear down guy.” He ensured the family had all the needed supplies and didn’t leave anything behind after cleaning up. Casey admits it was a fun way to meet people and have meaningful conversations about family, adoption, foster care, and service to God for the most vulnerable. Community support was incredible, and the family raised $1,500 over both Saturdays. 

Casey knows the boys “got a glimpse of how easy it is to be involved in orphan care” and prays that the “little things we do today will grow in them a love for their neighbor and a love for the fatherless.” He hopes the boys look back on projects like these with fond memories of serving and working with their dad. Even more so, he desires to serve together so they will “grow up knowing that caring for others is part of the Christian life. It’s who we are.” 

Stand for Orphans became a fun way for the entire Stevens family, from the youngest to the oldest, to get involved in orphan care and reflect God’s heart for the vulnerable. Casey summed up their experience as a father leading his sons in Stand for Orphans: “I want my sons to know that caring for orphans, whether that’s adoption or selling lemonade, is worth our efforts. It’s biblical and if we bear the title ‘Christian’ then it is both our duty and our pleasure to care for orphans. (James 1:27).

Casey’s Tip for Your Stand:

“I would encourage you to involve a local business. Partnering with Revell Ace Hardware was such a great decision. We were able to meet more people, make more money, and pass out more information about Lifeline because of where we chose to have our stand. And I’m pretty sure Ace Hardware didn’t mind either because we had quite a few friends show up to support us that ended up supporting the hardware store too.”

Register for your free Stand for Orphans kit and make a difference in the lives of vulnerable children all over the world.