Make Your Mark: Deedra Scherm

This California mom inspires kids to reach out and give their best to one another.

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The Person: Deedra Scherm
The Cause: The Lemon Squeeze Foundation

Murietta, CA-- Deedra Scherm is a mom who wants to make a difference. When pregnant with her first child, Scherm was diagnosed with a potentially fatal pregnancy-related illness. When told her condition had a thirty-three percent chance of fatality, Scherm quickly re-evaluated her life and what she wanted for herself and her kids. She realized that the most important thing she could teach them was how they could make a difference in someone else's life. That became her inspiration for The Lemon Squeeze Foundation.

Scherm lives by the motto, "When life gives you lemons, make lemonade." She wants kids to understand that, "just like squeezing a lemon can be uncomfortable in the beginning, so can giving back, but in the end you have an amazing result." Scherm's passion for getting others to "squeeze the lemons" led to the creation of an organization called The Lemon Squeeze, which teaches kids how to give back to other kids. The Lemon Squeeze's main project is "A Room to Give,"where one deserving child is granted a room makeover and a wish.



Sean Carlson of Murrieta, California, a 10-year-old living with Spina Bifida, received the organization's first room makeover in February 2008. Hundreds of children helped raise funds to buy supplies for his new room. A part of the design team, the kids came in shifts to complete the manual labor of redesigning the room into a replica of the The Justice League's headquarters, which are Sean's favorite comic superheroes. Scherm believes that this type of project truly teaches the children involved the joy of giving because all the children were so excited to give Sean the best room possible.

Scherm says that The Lemon Squeeze not only gives children a new sanctuary where they can relax and rejuvenate, but also teaches them the joy of giving. "If I can teach these kids one thing, it would be to reach out and give the best of themselves," Scherm says.

If you would like to volunteer or donate to the next "A Room to Give" project, visit The Lemon Squeeze's site.


-- Submitted by Kris Scherm

 

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