When hockey legend Darryl Sittler lost his wife of 30 years, Wendy, to cancer, his three children lost their mother. One found her calling.
Meaghan Sittler is on a mission to help people from all walks of life experience the profound and positive impact that Connection, Acceptance, Belonging, and Emotional Literacy have on a person’s overall well-being.
As a child, Meaghan’s mother introduced her family to the importance of emotional literacy. Wendy encouraged Meaghan, her brother Ryan and sister Ashley to talk openly about the way they feel, no matter how scary or troubling it might seem. Wendy even went so far as to designate specific chairs, “the talking chairs,” for this activity. Wendy taught her family, including Darryl, how to be vulnerable, genuine and to connect deeply with others.
Meaghan’s hockey career, her mother’s illness and death, and her work with clients for almost 20 years has confirmed her beliefs. Connection, Acceptance, Belonging and Emotional Literacy are the keys to living a healthy, productive, purposed-driven and meaningful life.
The dream is Unity Village.
We live in a hyper-connected digital world, but we’ve never been less connected to ourselves, our neighbours, colleagues, friends and family. That’s why Meaghan and her team created Unity Village.
According to the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, consumption of antidepressants in Canada is the third highest among 23 developed countries with 86 doses consumed daily per 1,000 people.
In 2016, 19.0% of Canadians aged 12 and older (roughly 5.8 million people) reported alcohol consumption that classified them as heavy drinkers.
How will Unity Village help?
Unity Village provides a safe space with trained professionals and volunteers where each Member is met with acceptance, inclusivity, and a genuine respect for their personal journey.
They offer emotional safety, a sense of belonging, community and a place to grow.
They offer wellness and well-being from a holistic viewpoint that includes physical, mental, nutritional, emotional and, spiritual health, and overall balance as a whole person living in this often-challenging world.
They offer programs, workshops, events, classes, social gatherings and community.
The Unity Village community is united in the belief that all humans deserve to feel accepted and experience the profound positive impact self-love has on an individual’s life.
They help you untangle the difficult emotional stressors we face in our daily lives.
Unity Village is predicated on the belief that self-love and inclusivity create healing.
At their core, humans have an innate need to be seen, heard, valued, and respected. When a space is created that promotes this type of human interaction, healing happens.
Who are Unity Village members?
It’s simple really. Members seek connection. For some, it will be about a safe space, a cup of tea and truly being seen by another. For another it may be about healing from trauma.
We want to provide space and programs that allow members, no matter where they are in their journey, to be real, genuine, authentic and connect with themselves and others.
I’m volunteering to bring Unity Village to life. Many years ago, I met Meaghan Sittler (very briefly) at an event her Dad did with us at Gilda’s Club Greater Toronto. Seventeen years later Meaghan reached out to me. She made a list of 100 people she needed to involve to turn her dream into reality – her top 3 were:
- God
- Darryl Sittler and
- Me.
I’ve always loved Harry Chapin’s song All My Life’s a Circle. Interested in learning more? Email me through the contact page on my website www.themedalistgroup.ca
One of our team will get back to you as quickly as we can! In the meantime, please let us know what you think in the comments below. And if it resonates, please share this message widely. Thank you!
