Sophia shared the mission of Lemons to Lemonade at Edwards Lifesciences, highlighting the need for greater support and awareness for grieving children.
Turning life’s sour lemons into connection, community, and hope for grieving children and families throughout Orange County
Founder Sophia Donald shares her story of childhood loss, resilience, and how the support she received at the Center for Good Grief helped shape the vision behind Lemons to Lemonade.
Bringing together children who share similar experiences, Lemons to Lemonade helps grieving kids feel seen, supported, and never alone in their journey.
Lemons to Lemonade is a community created for children who have experienced the loss of a loved one. Through camps, meetups, and ongoing connection, we help kids build friendships, discover resilience, and realize they are not alone.
After losing her father at age five, founder Sophia Donald experienced the power of grief support through creative outlets and community. After moving to California and realizing those resources didn’t exist for children here, she set out to recreate what once helped her heal. In this conversation, Sophia shares how Lemons to Lemonade was born — and why supporting grieving children can change the course of their lives.
1 in 12 children will experience the loss of a parent or sibling before the age of 18, yet childhood grief remains one of the most overlooked challenges impacting young people today.
Research surrounding childhood trauma and adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) has shown that unresolved grief and emotional isolation can significantly impact a child’s long-term mental and physical health, emotional well-being, relationships, confidence, and academic success. Children navigating profound loss are at greater risk for anxiety, depression, social isolation, and other long-term challenges — especially when support systems are limited.
In communities like Orange County, grief support resources specifically designed for children and teens remain extremely limited.
Lemons to Lemonade was created to help change that — providing grieving children with connection, mentorship, community, and the reminder that they are never alone in their journey.
At the heart of Lemons to Lemonade is founder Sophia Donald, whose early life was touched by unimaginable loss. Sophia lost her father to a sudden heart attack at five years old, and in the years that followed, she found comfort and support through The Centers for Good Grief in Memphis, Tennessee, where she learned she did not have to navigate grief alone.
Determined to help other children facing loss, Sophia later wrote Lemons to Lemonade: A Grief Workbook, inspired by her own experience navigating grief and the support she received as a child. As she worked on the book, she realized grieving children needed more than a workbook—they needed connection, friendship, and a community where they could feel understood alongside peers who shared similar experiences.
After moving to Orange County, Sophia was surprised to discover there were virtually no grief resources designed specifically for children. While support existed for adults and families, there were few places where grieving kids could find connection independently. She knew she wanted to change that.
Sophia envisioned creating a camp where kids could “take the sour lemons and make lemonade.” While researching ways to bring that vision to life, she discovered the Dragon Kim Foundation, where she received leadership training, business mentorship, and the support needed to turn her vision into reality. Sophia invited her friend Avery to help bring the camp experience to life for local grieving children.
What began as one small camp quickly grew into a movement focused on helping grieving children realize they are not alone. As more families, volunteers, clinicians, and community partners became involved, Lemons to Lemonade evolved into a growing youth-led nonprofit dedicated to resilience, peer connection, youth leadership, and childhood grief awareness throughout Orange County.
Today, Lemons to Lemonade continues to expand through camps, meetups, advocacy efforts, community partnerships, and youth leadership initiatives, creating opportunities for grieving children to build friendships, gain confidence, and discover the strength to move forward—while empowering teens to lead, serve, and make a meaningful difference in their communities.
At Lemons to Lemonade, our mission is to create a nurturing and uplifting community where grieving children and teens feel supported, understood, and never alone. Through connection, friendship, creativity, and shared experiences, we help young people navigate loss while building resilience, friendship, and hope for the future.
Together, we strive to transform life’s sour lemons into connection, courage, and meaningful growth—creating spaces where children can honor their loved ones, build confidence, and grow stronger together.
Our week-long summer camps provide grieving children with a supportive environment where they can build friendships, share experiences, and participate in uplifting activities designed to foster resilience, confidence, and connection. Through art, outdoor activities, mentorship, and community, campers are reminded that they are never alone in their journey.
Our meetups are a growing part of the Lemons to Lemonade community, creating ongoing opportunities for grieving children and teens to stay connected throughout the year. With the support of our Teen Advisory Team, grieving teens are now helping mentor and build meaningful connections with younger grieving children — creating a community rooted in understanding, resilience, and shared experiences.
This growing initiative is supported alongside Child Life Specialist and grief counselor Colleen Cherry, MS, CCLS, CT, and grief specialist Becky Lomaka, MA, FT, whose guidance continues to help shape meaningful experiences for grieving children and families throughout our community.
Lemons to Lemonade provides creative grief support resources designed to help children express emotions, honor loved ones, and navigate grief with resilience, hope, and connection.
One of these resources includes Lemons to Lemonade: A Grief Workbook, written by founder Sophia Donald and inspired by the childhood grief support she received through The Centers for Good Grief.
Through our relationship with The Centers for Good Grief and our affiliation with Eluna Network, families also have access to an expanded library of trusted grief support resources, educational materials, camps, and community programs available through our Resources tab.
When Sophia moved to Orange County, she hoped to find something similar to the support and community she had experienced through The Centers for Good Grief after losing her father at a young age.
What she found was surprising — while grief resources existed for adults and even pet loss, there was virtually nothing specifically designed for grieving children to connect independently with peers who truly understood what they were going through.
She wanted to change that.
Lemons to Lemonade was created to do just that.
What began as Sophia’s idea has grown into a community-supported effort focused on camps, ongoing meetups, mentorship, advocacy, and connection for grieving children throughout Orange County. Through leadership opportunities, community partnerships, and youth involvement, Lemons to Lemonade continues to grow into a nonprofit dedicated to helping grieving children feel understood, supported, and less alone.
By creating opportunities for kids to come together, build friendships, and share experiences, Lemons to Lemonade helps transform isolation into connection and grief into resilience.
And this is only the beginning. Together, we can help build a future where every grieving child has access to meaningful support and community after loss.
Lemons to Lemonade is dedicated to supporting children through their grief, one camp, one story, one friendship at a time. Join us in making a lasting impact. Through donations, volunteering, or simply spreading the word, you can help turn lemons into lemonade for children facing loss. Every contribution builds a stronger, more compassionate community.
