Episode 010: Kindness Isn't a Skill You Teach — It's One You Model — Krista Spadt on raising empathetic kids one Smile Bag at a time.

What if teaching kindness was as simple as a drop of food coloring in a glass of milk?

In this episode, Renee sits down with Krista Spadt, founder of The Simple Gifts Project, to talk about how one nonprofit turns small gestures into hospital care packages — and how packing those bags changes the kids doing the packing just as much as the kids receiving them.

In this episode:

• How a 501(c)(3) nonprofit grew out of a $100 candy cane fundraiser and one family's hospital stay
• What's actually inside a Smile Bag, Teen Bag, and Parent Bag — and why each is designed differently
• Why teaching empathy to second graders is trickier than it sounds (and the one demo that finally makes it click)
• What happens when high schoolers ask "what else can I do?" after just one volunteer shift
• Why farmers markets and big events under-delivered compared to word-of-mouth and organic referrals
• The neighborhood yard sale that turned into 320 donated care bags
• Krista's simple answer for anyone who wants to bring more kindness into their own life this week

Timestamps:

[0:00] Meet Krista Spadt & The Simple Gifts Project

[1:00] Inside the care bags: Smile, Teen & Parent Bags

[3:00] The hospitals they serve — and how the need has shifted

[4:00] The origin story: candy canes, a hospital stay, and a 2017 leap

[7:00] What packing a bag teaches kids about empathy

[10:00] A shared memory: Girl Scouts and Meals on Wheels

[13:00] The milk-and-food-coloring lesson that makes kindness visible

[17:00] What actually gets people to say yes to partnering

[22:00] Why small acts are the whole point

[24:00] How to get involved with Simple Gifts Project

Guest bio:

Krista Spadt is the founder of The Simple Gifts Project, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit she launched in 2017 after 25 years in education. The organization fills and donates Smile Bags, Teen Bags, and Parent Bags to hospitals across the Philadelphia suburbs, partnering with schools, Scout troops, and families to spread kindness "one smile at a time."

Learn more / get involved: simplegiftsproject.org

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/simplegiftsproject  |  Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/simplegiftsproj

Resources mentioned:

• The Simple Gifts Project — simplegiftsproject.org
• CHOP (Children's Hospital of Philadelphia)
• Doylestown, Grandview, and Abington Hospitals

If this episode resonated, subscribe to Learning Experience Design for Change Makers and leave a review — and go check out simplegiftsproject.org to get your school, troop, or family involved in packing a Smile Bag.