Phillipsburg girl, 6, starts hot chocolate stand to help pay the bills after dad’s surgery – lehighvalleylive.com

Mackenzie Mravlag, 6, and her brother, Tyler, 8, lower right from left, are manning a hot chocolate stand Saturday, Jan. 26, 2019, with help from their mother, Jess, and 16-month-old sister, Bianca, to raise money to help with the family’s bills after their father, Will Mravlag, underwent emergency brain surgery Dec. 7, 2018, and was forced to miss two months of work. The stand was open till 5 p.m. Saturday and continues 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday on the front porch of the family’s home at 61 Filmore St. in Phillipsburg. (Kurt Bresswein | For lehighvalleylive.com)

The stand features hot chocolate ladled out of a crock pot, to keep it warm as temperatures hovered around freezing Saturday afternoon. There are also homemade sugar, chocolate chip and peanut butter cookies.

A cup costs 50 cents and a cookies goes for a quarter. The children plan to be out until 5 p.m. Saturday and again from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday, at 61 Filmore St.

Initially, Mackenzie wanted to do a lemonade stand, said her mother, as she held the couple’s 16-month-old, Bianca.

“So being that it’s a little cold we did the hot chocolate instead,” Jess said.

A bright green sign advertises the Mravlag’s family fundraiser Saturday, Jan. 26, 2019, at 61 Filmore St. in Phillipsburg. (Kurt Bresswein | For lehighvalleylive.com)

There is also a gofundme.com effort set up to help the family.

“It got us through a month’s worth of rent so far and some of our utilities,” Jess said of the online fundraiser. “So it’s definitely helped out.”

The family has lived in Phillipsburg about five years, after moving from Caldwell, Essex County, to be closer to friends.