231. The Secret Sauce? Teen Volunteers Find Meaning Feeding Others with Sarah Leathers

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.Chapters00:00 – Intro & Welcome05:18 – How Healing Meals Supports Teens and Families11:12 – Measuring Impact: Surveys and Data on Teen Growth18:18 – The Transformative Power of Volunteering30:20 – The Secret Sauce Behind Healing Meals’ Success34:03 – Break36:19 – Inside the Healing Meals Kitchen44:20 – Teens Realizing Their Impact on Others47:36 – How Healing Meals Changes Career Aspirations52:27 – The Power of Intergenerational Relationships54:06 – How to Get Involved and Spread Kindness01:00:32 – Staying Hopeful and “Overly Optimistic”01:04:11 – Closing Thoughts