Lemons to Lemonade Foundation Inc.

At Lemons to Lemonade, our mission is to provide a safe and nurturing space for kids who have tragically experienced the loss of a parent or loved one. Our philosophy centers around embracing adversity and transforming it into something meaningful and refreshing, just like turning lemons into a delightful glass of lemonade. Through our programs, we aim to empower them with the tools, resources, and emotional support they need to navigate their grief journey with a zest for making the best out of every situation. We foster a community of friendship, understanding, and positivity, where they can share their experiences, find solace, and discover their own resilience. Join us on this empowering journey as we squeeze out the sweetness from life's lemons and discover the limitless potential within ourselves.

Background Statement for Lemons to Lemonade

At Lemons to Lemonade, we believe in transforming life’s most challenging moments into opportunities for growth, connection, and hope. Founded by two remarkable high school students, Avery and Sophia, who each experienced the profound personal loss of a parent before the age of 5, Lemons to Lemonade is dedicated to providing essential grief support for children and teens in Orange County. These young leaders, driven by their own experiences, are inspiring their community to fill the critical need for resources to help grieving kids heal.

While many cities have established grief support programs, Orange County lacks comparable resources tailored specifically for children. Lemons to Lemonade is bridging that gap through innovative programs, including grief camps, peer-led support groups, and creative tools like the Lemons to Lemonade: A Grief Workbook and the upcoming LemonAid App. These initiatives provide a safe, nurturing space where grieving children can connect, build resilience, and begin their journey toward healing.

Our mission is clear: to ensure no child in Orange County faces the journey of grief alone.

Lemons to Lemonade relies on the generosity of donors and sponsors to make its programs accessible to families in need, completely free of charge. Your support will directly impact grieving children, giving them the tools to navigate their loss, build strength, and find hope in the future. Together, we can turn life’s sour lemons into something sweet.

Lemons to Lemonade is more than a one-time program—it’s the heart of an ongoing community.

We are building a space where grieving children feel seen, supported, and never alone. What began as a free summer grief camp has grown into a year-round support system for children facing the unimaginable.

Through monthly meet-ups, community events, and collaborations with other local nonprofits, Lemons to Lemonade is creating meaningful, long-term impact for children and families across Orange County and beyond.

But we don’t stop at support—we also believe in education and advocacy. One of our core goals is to raise awareness around the importance of grief support in our community. With 1 in 12 children experiencing the loss of a parent or sibling before the age of 18, the need is urgent. Research shows that children who do not receive grief support are more likely to experience depression, anxiety, academic decline, and social isolation.

Lemons to Lemonade is working to change that.

With the continued support of donors, sponsors, and community members, we are:
✔ Hosting free summer grief camps where children build friendships, make memories, and rediscover joy
✔ Offering monthly and quarterly Lemonade Meet-Ups for continued peer connection and healing
✔ Partnering with schools, hospitals, and nonprofits to expand access to grief resources
✔ Developing the LemonAid App, a digital support tool offering grief resources and peer connection
✔ Educating the community about the lasting impact of childhood grief—and how we can all help
✔ Ensuring that grief support becomes a standard of care for kids, not a luxury

With every shared story, every sponsored camper, and every new supporter, we move closer to a world where grieving kids grow up knowing they’re not alone—and that even the most sour lemons can become something sweet. 🍋💛

Needs Statement for Lemons to Lemonade

In Orange County, grief is a silent struggle for many children and teens who have lost a loved one. Despite the profound impact of such a loss, there are few local resources tailored specifically for grieving kids. Most available support programs are directed toward adults, often overlooking the unique and urgent needs of children who are grieving too. Many families are left to navigate this difficult journey alone, without the tools or support needed to help children heal and thrive.

Statistics show the urgency of this need:

-1 in 12 children in the U.S. will lose a parent or sibling before the age of 18, and that number rises to 1 in 7 by age 25.
-Grieving children face a significantly increased risk of depression, anxiety, academic struggles, and social isolation if they lack appropriate support.
-Programs focused on grief have been shown to reduce these risks, helping children build resilience, forge connections, and improve their mental health outcomes.

While cities across the country have developed grief-specific programs, Orange County remains underserved in this area. Families here lack access to camps, peer support groups, and other essential resources that give children a chance to share their experiences and find healing.

Lemons to Lemonade is answering this call. Inspired by two nationally recognized programs—Camp Good Grief in Memphis and the Compassionate Kids Club in New York—our founders, Avery and Sophia, have worked to bring a similar sense of connection and healing to grieving children in Orange County. The directors of these camps continue to mentor the girls as they grow Lemons to Lemonade, ensuring the program is grounded in proven approaches to grief support.

Our programs, such as grief camps, peer-led groups, and the upcoming LemonAid App, are designed to build a compassionate community for grieving children. While the focus is on peer-led support, we are fortunate to have the mentorship of volunteer counselors who offer additional guidance and professional expertise when needed. This dual approach ensures that participants and families have access to both community-based and professional support, strengthening the overall impact of our programs.

To meet this growing need, we depend on the generosity of donors and sponsors. Your support will help us expand our programs, reach more children, and ensure that every grieving family has access to the resources they deserve. Together, we can make a lasting impact, turning life’s most challenging moments into opportunities for growth, connection, and hope.

Geographic Areas Served, Expanding Reach, and National Impact
At Lemons to Lemonade, we are committed to providing meaningful support to grieving children and their families across our geographic service area while continuously exploring innovative ways to expand our impact nationwide.

Geographic Areas Served:
Our primary focus is on hands-on support within Orange County, California. We serve families in communities such as Irvine, Newport Beach, Costa Mesa, Mission Viejo, Laguna Niguel, Laguna Beach, and other surrounding areas. Through grief camps, school partnerships, and community engagement, we address the critical lack of resources for grieving children in these regions. By providing safe, nurturing spaces for healing and fostering connections among families, Lemons to Lemonade is helping local children build resilience and navigate their grief journey with hope.

Reaching Beyond Orange County:
While our primary mission is to serve the local community, we are thrilled to expand our reach and provide support to families outside our immediate area. Last year, for example, we welcomed a camper from Palm Springs to our grief camp, made possible by the generosity of a donor who covered the family’s gas and lodging expenses. These moments of extended support reflect the type of community-driven generosity we hope to grow. With the help of donors and sponsors, we aim to ensure that no grieving child feels alone, no matter where they live.

Expanding Reach and National Impact:
Our efforts to expand beyond Orange County are further supported by innovative tools like the Lemons to Lemonade: A Grief Workbook and the upcoming LemonAid App.

The Lemons to Lemonade: A Grief Workbook is a cornerstone of our program, designed to help children process their grief through interactive and engaging activities that foster resilience and hope. This workbook has already been incorporated into local school libraries and community networks, but its potential reaches far beyond Orange County. To realize this potential, we are investing in marketing efforts to raise awareness of the workbook among grief counselors, schools, and nonprofit organizations across the country. By doing so, we can ensure that children in underserved or remote areas also have access to this vital resource, empowering them to heal and thrive despite the absence of in-person programs.

In addition to the workbook, the development of the LemonAid App represents a transformative step forward in our mission. This digital platform will provide grieving children with access to resources, peer connections, and emotional support regardless of their location. The app is designed to be user-friendly and inclusive, complementing our in-person programs while filling gaps for children who may not have access to local services. By creating this tool, we are ensuring that no child has to navigate their grief journey alone, offering a lifeline of hope and community even in the most challenging circumstances.

These initiatives reflect our dedication to transforming the grief journey for as many children as possible. Through the Grief Workbook, the LemonAid App, and partnerships with organizations like Miracles for Kids, Lemons to Lemonade is steadily evolving from a local nonprofit into a national movement. By allocating resources to the development and promotion of these tools, we are building a bridge from our local impact to a nationwide presence, ensuring that grieving children and their families can find the healing, connection, and resilience they deserve—no matter where they are.

Statement from Danielle Donald, CEO of Lemons to Lemonade:

At Lemons to Lemonade, we are dedicated to transforming the lives of grieving children and teens by providing them with the tools, resources, and community they need to heal and thrive. Founded by two remarkable young leaders, Avery and Sophia, who each experienced the loss of a parent before the age of 5, this organization was created to ensure no child in Orange County has to face such a journey alone.

Since its inception, Lemons to Lemonade has grown into a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization driven by a deeply personal mission. Inspired by their own experiences at Camp Good Grief in Memphis and the Compassionate Kids Club in New York, Avery and Sophia are building a similar program in Orange County, a region where grief support for children is critically lacking. They are supported by mentorship from the directors of these camps, ensuring that Lemons to Lemonade is built on proven models of success and sustainability.

Lemons to Lemonade offers grief camps, peer-led support groups, and innovative tools such as the Lemons to Lemonade: A Grief Workbook and the upcoming LemonAid App. Beyond a one-time intervention, the organization is creating a compassionate, lasting community for grieving children to form deep connections and gain the resilience they need to navigate life after loss. Volunteer counselors further enhance the program by providing mentorship and professional guidance, ensuring that every child has access to support tailored to their needs.

While the program is still growing, its impact is profound. Each child who participates gains tools for emotional resilience, builds lifelong connections, and leaves knowing they are not alone. This is not just a camp—it’s a movement to change the trajectory of children’s lives by addressing a deeply underserved need in Orange County.

Through the generosity of donors, sponsors, and community partners, Lemons to Lemonade has been able to provide its services free of charge to families in need. The organization continues to grow, driven by the vision of two passionate young leaders and a community united in the belief that no child should face grief alone.

Statement from Sophia Donald, President, Lemons to Lemonade
When I lost my dad at the age of five, I didn’t fully understand what grief meant—I just knew that everything had changed. Growing up, I often felt alone in my loss, like no one truly understood the weight I was carrying. That all changed when I attended Camp Good Grief in Memphis. For the first time, I met other kids who had experienced loss, kids who made me realize that I wasn’t alone. It was in that space, surrounded by people who understood, that I began to heal.

Years later, when I met Avery, who had lost her mom at the age of three, we bonded over a shared understanding of grief. But we also realized something else: Orange County didn’t have the kind of resources that had helped us. No grief camps, no dedicated programs for children, no safe spaces where kids could meet others who understood. That’s when the idea for Lemons to Lemonade was born.

Lemons to Lemonade is not just a camp or a workbook or an app—it’s a community. It’s a place where kids can build deep connections, share their stories, and learn that grief doesn’t have to define them. Through peer support and creative programs, we’re giving kids tools to find resilience, strength, and hope.

Our ultimate goal is to leave behind something that lasts—a program that becomes a permanent part of Orange County’s community fabric. This is not a high school project; it’s a mission to create meaningful change for grieving children and their families. We hope to inspire a larger organization to partner with us, ensuring a lasting commitment to young grieving children in Orange County. This venture is about more than helping kids today—it’s about building a future where no child has to navigate grief alone.

I am grateful to everyone who believes in our mission and supports us in turning life’s sour lemons into something sweet. Together, we are creating a brighter future for grieving children and showing them that even in the hardest times, they are never alone.

Statement from Co-Founder, Avery Lind
Losing my mom to cancer when I was just three years old shaped my life in ways I didn’t fully understand until much later. I was too young to remember her clearly, but I always felt her absence. Growing up, grief wasn’t something we talked about, and for a long time, I didn’t know how to process those feelings. That’s why, when I found a program like the Compassionate Kids Club in New York, it was life-changing. I met other kids who understood what it felt like to lose someone they loved, and for the first time, I didn’t feel so alone.

Moving to Orange County, I realized how rare those resources are for grieving kids. I met Sophia, and we connected right away over our shared experiences. We talked about how much programs like Camp Good Grief and the Compassionate Kids Club had helped us, and we knew we wanted to bring something similar to Orange County.

Lemons to Lemonade is our way of making sure no child has to feel as isolated as I once did. It’s not just about a camp or a workbook—it’s about creating a supportive community for kids to lean on as they navigate their grief. Watching the kids in our program connect with each other has been one of the most rewarding experiences of my life.

I’m proud of what we’ve built, from becoming a 501(c)(3) nonprofit to partnering with organizations like Miracle for Kids. But this is just the beginning. My hope is that Lemons to Lemonade becomes more than just a program—it becomes part of the foundation of support for children in Orange County. I want this to be something that continues long after Sophia and I graduate, something that inspires bigger organizations to step in and help grieving kids on a larger scale.

I believe in the power of connection and shared experiences to transform lives. Lemons to Lemonade is proof of that, and I’m honored to be a part of something that gives hope and strength to kids who need it most.