Life & Work with Carina Webster

Today we’d like to introduce you to Carina Webster. 

Hi Carina, so excited to have you on the platform. So, before we get into questions about your work life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today.
In 2019, I was on a plane and reading “How to Win Friends and Influence People.” When I came across Dale Carnegie’s affirmation that “no one needs a smile more than those who have none left to give,” it sparked something in me that can only be described as an epiphany channeled into a grand idea through my empathetic soul. Since I have a special interest in mental health, I visualized those struggling with homelessness in my San Francisco neighborhoods and I began journaling a reflection about how difficult it would be to wake up, stripped of resources, with a feeling of hopelessness only further perpetuated by being surrounded with people who didn’t acknowledge your presence as they walked past. Without having the tools to solve today’s housing instability crisis myself, which is rooted deeply in systemic inequities, I wondered how I might still be able to channel more compassion and hope for this community with resources that I did have. The words “Smile Sack” came to me as I created a list of items that could be contained in a care package and exchanged compassionately between people as they came across individuals experiencing homelessness in their everyday lives. When I returned home, I ordered the supplies to create my first set of Smile Sacks and announced the project on Instagram. To my surprise, I received an overwhelming response of people wanting to contribute financially and quickly realized my idea was destined to be something greater than just a one-time project. From there, I founded Smile Sack Project as an official 501c (3) nonprofit organization and began distributing variations of our signature yellow bag across California with the help of volunteers. 

Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall, and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
My biggest area for growth as a nonprofit founder was definitely learning how to fundraise after collecting the initial influx of donations. As a full-time developmental play therapist serving at-risk children with autism and simultaneously pursuing my graduate school education, it was really difficult for me to allocate the appropriate amount of time necessary to sustain the initiative and keep Smile Sack Project afloat. Thankfully, in 2021 I was presented with the opportunity to compete in an incredibly generous fundraising giveaway for $10,000 donated by the Ruth Krishnan real estate team. It was a March madness voting-style contest where we went head-to-head with many charity organizations, all of which were much more well-renowned and larger than mine. Against all odds, the small yet mighty Smile Sack Project community pulled through with an amazing online presence. Anyone and everyone who would listen was voting for us – my friends, their grandmothers, people’s coworkers, and even taxicab drivers! We were so blessed to have won the giveaway, which has allowed me to maintain the organization and still funds care packages being assembled to this day. I owe so much of our success to the Krishnan Team. 

When the pandemic hit, I was also tasked with navigating how to safely distribute Smile Sacks, which was very challenging because our entire initiative was founded upon “spreading smiles” via face-to-face interactions. However, it allowed us to get creative and partner with GLIDE Memorial Church because they had the resources to facilitate events for individuals experiencing homelessness within the Tenderloin district while still following the CDC’s social distancing recommendations. Initially a struggle, pandemic partnerships empowered me to re-imagine the Smile Sack Project model to include organizational alliances along with encouraging volunteers to hand out these bags personally, as was originally intended. 

Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
At Smile Sack Project, we support individuals experiencing homelessness and housing instability by generating supplies to create care packages containing items of need, which are exchanged personally between community members. We recognize homelessness to be a complex social inequity and wish to cultivate positive human connections for a population that is often disregarded. I am most proud of how accessible the project makes community service feel. Oftentimes, people want to help others but aren’t quite sure how to interact or support them. Using care packages as a tool, my nonprofit empowers others to respectfully acknowledge their neighbors in passing and therefore choose to communicate hope. I think Smile Sacks have helped individuals to realize that they don’t need to work in the nonprofit space or dedicate an entire day to volunteering in order to make an impact. Rather, positive change can be tangibly captured in a simple act of kindness that is woven into what people are already doing as they go about each day and inevitably come across people in need. 

Each Smile Sack is a drawstring backpack containing a reusable water bottle, snack, socks, hat, gloves, rain poncho, a variety of dental and hygiene supplies, and a personal note. We have also created feminine hygiene kits, children’s comfort bags with activities promoting emotional regulation, and customized gifts for special events such as women’s support groups. 

Is there a quality that you most attribute to your success?
I believe humility is an essential quality and key characteristic captured in the Smile Sack mission and vision. Many people view those experiencing homelessness and/or with mental health struggles as an “othered” population rather than as fellow human beings who are deserving of love and kindness. I think, oftentimes, this sense of separation is what makes people afraid to approach neighbors in need. Once you realize that every human’s struggles are a reflection of a broken system and society, which we are all at risk for to different degrees, you become much more empathetic towards the population and no longer see them as being different from you. By practicing humility, we can see ourselves in others and embrace them with the same sense of compassionate connection that we all crave. I truly do envision a culture in which every person’s basic needs are recognized and met both tangibly and emotionally. Each time someone gifts a care package, they are encouraged to pause with humility. As a result, those receiving the gift are empowered with a raw moment of hopeful human connection. 

Contact Info:

• Website: www.smilesackproject.org
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/smilesackproject/?hl=en
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/smilesackproject/
• Other: https://www.smilesackproject.org/donate.html