Our Mission
We inspire self-esteem to help youth in foster care thrive.
Since 2012, Project Lemonade has provided high-quality services to meet the needs of the foster youth community. Our programming now includes the flagship Project Lemonade Store, internships, programs for teens aging out of care, and funding opportunities that allow youth to pursue their dreams.
From kindergarten to college, Project Lemonade provides the resources, opportunities and connections youth in foster care need.
Due to childhood trauma, poverty and instability, youth in foster care are among the most under-resourced in our nation. The statistics for foster youth underlie the barriers they face:
25% experience homelessness
66% do not complete high school
50% are unemployed by the age of 25
Foster youth are five times more likely to experience PTSD than the general public
Minority youth in foster care experience serious psychological stress at higher rates than the general foster youth population
Project Lemonade is on a mission to inspire self-esteem in foster youth so they can beat the odds.
We partner with youth to provide responsive services that augment youth’s resilience and capacity. By providing resources, opportunities, and connections in a positive and welcoming environment, Project Lemonade helps foster youth thrive.
22,000 youth served to date
35 counties served annually in Oregon and & SW Washington
$ 3 million dollars saved in clothing costs for families
5 innovative programs
Project Lemonade began in 2012 as a grassroots effort, founded by a foster parent and group of passionate community members. Learn more about our origin story and milestones of our first 10 years.
“As a foster kid, you often feel that something is wrong with you. You feel discarded.”
— J. former foster youth and Project Lemonade Intern
“State services to the most vulnerable have shrunk progressively over the last few years. Project Lemonade however has operated from a belief that power and compassion are still out there and they come from the community.”
— Kellie Barber, Multnomah County DHS
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A vast network of community partnerships help us meet our mission.
Project Lemonade partners with the Oregon Department of Human Services, statewide & local nonprofits, private funders and a vast network of community members. Thousands of people come together each year to help make Project Lemonade possible.
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Purpose driven people committed to youth in foster care.
Our work is supported by an engaged Board of Directors, dedicated staff and experienced group of Advisory Council members.We include the voices of youth with lived experience at our program and leadership levels. Learn more about the Core Values that drive our organization and our Leadership team.