Inside a phone-free kitchen in Hartford, teens prepare beautiful meals for neighbors in health crises—and, mentored by patient adults, discover confidence, belonging, and voice. Healing Meals Founder Sarah Leathers shares the five simple practices that turned service into community transformation.

Chapters

00:00 – Intro & Welcome

05:18 – How Healing Meals Supports Teens and Families

11:12 – Measuring Impact: Surveys and Data on Teen Growth

18:18 – The Transformative Power of Volunteering

30:20 – The Secret Sauce Behind Healing Meals’ Success

34:03 – Break

36:19 – Inside the Healing Meals Kitchen

44:20 – Teens Realizing Their Impact on Others

47:36 – How Healing Meals Changes Career Aspirations

52:27 – The Power of Intergenerational Relationships

54:06 – How to Get Involved and Spread Kindness

01:00:32 – Staying Hopeful and “Overly Optimistic”

01:04:11 – Closing Thoughts