In 2017, Joanna Schmergel joined the Lincoln METCO Coordinating Committee, also known as Friends of Lincoln METCO, as its fundraising chair.  METCO, which stands for the Metropolitan Council for Educational Opportunity, runs a school integration program that enrolls Boston students in grades K-12 in participating suburban public schools to reduce racial isolation.  Schmergel was convinced there was a better way to raise additional funds needed for the organization and created the Downsize for Diversity program.  The idea is that people had things of value that they no longer wanted and would be happy to donate them to an organization that could benefit from them.  They started with a donation of porcelain and American Girl dolls.  The community heard of the idea and quickly began donating collectibles, home furnishings, artwork, china, rugs, and antiques.  In just over five years, the group raised $170,000, even having to shut down for 10 months within this timeframe due to the pandemic. 

In late 2022, Schmergel wanted to use her experience to reach a wider audience and contacted Boston Bridges Initiative.  It was a perfect fit as the mission of Downsize for Diversity and Boston Bridges are perfectly aligned.  Schmergel, who lives in Lincoln, has focused her efforts on collecting donations of artwork and displaying them for prospective customers in her home.