In Honor of 25 Years: Nancy Peddle Reflects on the Making of a Logo and a Legacy: Part 1

LemonAID Fund early Lemon!

In 1999, as LemonAID Fund was still finding its voice and vision, I received a piece of advice that has quietly echoed through every corner of our work for the past twenty-five years. Charles Rubner, then a marketing executive at McDonald’s and one of the early supporters who believed in our mission, looked at me and said:

“Just get a lemon, and make it personal.”

It was the kind of advice that doesn't shout, but stays with you.

At the time, I was traveling in Italy, my late husband’s homeland, accompanied by a dear board member. We found ourselves wandering through the medieval town of San Gimignano, its cobblestone streets and honey-colored light leaving their own kind of imprint on the heart. There, tucked between stone walls and centuries of history, we stepped into the sunlit studio of artist Cassandra Wainhouse.

Her artwork struck something deep in me. Rooted in organic forms and filtered through the warmth of Tuscan light, her pieces evoked a sense of stillness, of grace, of truth. It was as if her work gave form to the very values we were beginning to live into at LemonAid Fund: humility, healing, dignity, and presence. On instinct, and with the quiet boldness that often guides the beginnings of something meaningful, I asked her if she might create a lemon for us. Something not flashy or corporate, but heartfelt. She said yes.

And with that simple “yes,” something began.

Cassandra’s lemon wasn’t a logo in the traditional sense. It wasn’t designed for branding or marketing strategy. It was slow-made, deeply felt, and full of soul. A meditation, really. Tender. Hand-drawn. Slightly imperfect, like most of us. It spoke not to transactions, but to transformation.

And it didn’t stop there.

When we returned home, my father, who had been watching the growth of LemonAID Fund with the steady support only a parent can give, picked up the lemon and made it his own quiet mission. Over the next two decades, he hand-painted more than 1,000 individual lemons. Each one was unique. Each one infused with care. Each one a symbol of the kind of world we were working toward: yellow lemon, green leaves, always human.

Why did we do it this way?

Because from the beginning, LemonAID Fund was never meant to be just another charity. We weren’t interested in quick fixes or check-the-box philanthropy. We wanted something more honest, more lasting. We believed in meeting people where they were. In listening deeply. In building partnerships rooted in mutual respect.

We believed—and still believe—that aid should be personal.

That every human being has a story that deserves to be heard and honored. That change doesn’t come from sweeping declarations, but from small, consistent, intentional acts. That local wisdom matters. That dignity matters. That mental and emotional health matters. That doing good means doing it with integrity.

That original lemon came to embody our founding commitment:

• To make aid personal.

• To treat every story as sacred.

• To resist the quick fix in favor of long-term trust and transformation.

• To believe in the ripple effect—that one small act of care can carry across oceans and generations.

For 25 years, this hand-drawn lemon became our quiet flag. It traveled across borders and languages, across envelopes and posters and hearts. It whispered a message wherever it went: You matter. Your story matters. We’re in this together.

And as our mission expanded into new countries, new communities, new programs, this simple, handmade lemon reminded us of who we are and how we began.

Today, LemonAID Fund’s reach is global. We have served in over a dozen countries and impacted hundreds of thousands of lives through our Forgiveness, Gratitude, and Appreciation (FGA) framework, our educational programs, community partnerships, and scholarships. But that first lemon, that tender, hand-drawn fruit—still sits at the heart of everything we do.

As we begin this 25th anniversary series, we do so not with fanfare, but with deep gratitude. Gratitude for the people who believed in this work before it had a name. Gratitude for those who shared their stories with us. Gratitude for the everyday acts of courage and kindness that have shaped our path.

We invite you to journey with us through these reflections, stories of resilience, partnership, healing, and hope, as we honor where we’ve been and look ahead to what’s possible.

Stay tuned for Part 2, where we’ll introduce our new logo and explore how the values that guided us in the beginning are still very much alive—evolving, expanding, and ready for the next 25 years.