On Season 3, Episode 5 of What's The Tea with Sarah E, I sit down with Danielle Zucchet, CEO of Kemp Care Network, fundraiser, leader, mother, and the visionary helping bring Keaton's House to life - the first dedicated pediatric hospice serving Hamilton, Halton, Niagara, Brant, and surrounding communities.

Danielle's journey wasn't one she ever imagined.

After losing her son, Keaton, in 2010, she found herself searching for purpose amidst unimaginable grief. While attending a grief and bereavement seminar hosted by Kemp Care Network, she learned about the enormous gap in pediatric hospice care... and everything changed. What began as a career in fundraising evolved into a calling to help build something that families across our region have deserved for decades.

Today, Danielle is leading a transformational $25 million capital campaign to build Keaton's House - a home-like pediatric hospice that will provide respite care, pain and symptom management, grief and bereavement support, and end-of-life care for children and their families. With more than $14 million already raised, this dream is becoming a reality, with doors expected to open in 2027.

In this deeply moving conversation, Danielle spills the tea on:

• The life-changing loss that transformed her purpose and career
• The heartbreaking gap in pediatric hospice care and why families deserve better
• The vision behind Keaton's House and how it will redefine care for seriously ill children and their loved ones
• Leading one of the region's largest capital campaigns and the lessons she's learned along the way
• Building a team, embracing community, and why "it takes a village" isn't just a saying—it's the strategy
• The importance of creating spaces where families can simply be together, make memories, and feel at home—even during life's most difficult moments

Danielle also shares the story of Keaton - the joyful little boy who loved to dance, made everyone laugh, and continues to inspire a legacy of compassion that will impact generations of families. Through Keaton's House, his light will continue to shine in every family who walks through its doors.

This episode is about resilience, purpose, courageous leadership, and the extraordinary things that happen when a community comes together to build hope.

Season 3 – Episode 5 — More Than a Building is streaming now on What's The Tea with Sarah E.

Connect with Kemp Care Network at kempcarenetwork.org and learn more about Keaton's House at kempcarenetwork.org/capital-campaign/

Follow Kemp Care Network on Instagram @kempcarenetwork and Facebook to stay connected with the campaign and upcoming community initiatives.

That’s today’s tea! If you loved this conversation, don’t forget to rate, review, and share the show with a friend.

Join the Tea Party! New episodes drop every second Tuesday, so hit that subscribe button on your favorite podcast app. And for the latest episodes, behind-the-scenes clips, and even more bold conversations, follow me on Instagram at @sara_ernest.

A Reminder - The views and opinions expressed by guests on What’s the Tea with Sarah E are their own and do not necessarily reflect those of the host. This podcast is a platform for diverse voices, stories, and perspectives - sometimes unpolished, always unapologetic.

Until next time, keep stirring the pot.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On Season 3, Episode 4 of What's The Tea with Sarah E, I sit down with Abrar Mechmechia, Syrian-Canadian refugee, mental health advocate, and Founder & CEO of ABRAR Trauma & Mental Health Services.

Abrar's story begins in Syria, where she spent her childhood surrounded by family, community, creativity, and dreams of one day pursuing medicine like her father. But life had other plans. After witnessing the devastating impacts of war and eventually fleeing Syria, Abrar arrived in Canada carrying not only her own trauma - but a deep desire to help others heal.

What she discovered upon arrival was something she never expected: a system that often lacked the cultural understanding, compassion, and support newcomers desperately needed. Rather than allowing those experiences to define her, Abrar transformed them into purpose. In 2020, she founded ABRAR Trauma & Mental Health Services, creating culturally responsive, community-led mental health supports for newcomers, immigrants, refugees, women, and youth.

In this powerful and deeply human conversation, Abrar spills the tea on:

• Growing up in Syria and the values that shaped her leadership
• The realities of displacement, migration, and rebuilding a life in a new country
• Why lived experience matters in mental health care
• The gaps she encountered as a newcomer and how they inspired the creation of ABRAR
• Building culturally safe spaces where people feel seen, heard, and understood
• The launch of ABRAR's first-ever public fundraising initiative, Healing Happens Here
• The importance of dignity, representation, and belonging in mental health support
• Responding to the tragic loss of Nabil and creating long-term solutions that center youth voices and community healing
• What it means to advocate for uncomfortable truths, even when it comes at a personal cost

Abrar also shares a powerful perspective on trauma: that people are more than their diagnoses, their circumstances, or the hardships they have endured. Healing happens when people are treated as whole human beings - with culture, identity, history, and hope.

At the heart of this episode is a simple but profound message: Healing doesn't happen in isolation. Healing happens in community.

This episode is a conversation about resilience, belonging, courage, and what becomes possible when people choose compassion over judgment and action over indifference.

Season 3 – Episode 4 - Healing Happens Here is streaming now on What's The Tea with Sarah E.

Learn more about Abrar, ABRAR Trauma & Mental Health and the Healing Happens Here campaign at abrarmh.ca or find them on Instagram at @abrar.tmh and @abrar_mechmechia.

That’s today’s tea! If you loved this conversation, don’t forget to rate, review, and share the show with a friend.

Join the Tea Party! New episodes drop every second Tuesday, so hit that subscribe button on your favorite podcast app. And for the latest episodes, behind-the-scenes clips, and even more bold conversations, follow me on Instagram at @sara_ernest.

A Reminder - The views and opinions expressed by guests on What’s the Tea with Sarah E are their own and do not necessarily reflect those of the host. This podcast is a platform for diverse voices, stories, and perspectives - sometimes unpolished, always unapologetic.

Until next time, keep stirring the pot.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On Season 3, Episode 3 of What’s The Tea with Sarah E, I sit down with Laurie Macintyre, Executive Director of Jaycee Homes, housing advocate, community builder, and a leader who is proving that affordable housing is about so much more than bricks and mortar.

Laurie’s journey into housing was anything but planned. What began with a leap into property management evolved into a mission-driven career focused on creating safe, stable, and dignified housing for those who need it most. Today, she is leading one of the most significant projects in Jaycee Homes’ history - a new 24-unit affordable housing development for women and women-led families fleeing violence, set to open in 2026.

In this thoughtful, honest, and inspiring conversation, Laurie spills the tea on:

• Why stable housing is one of the most important determinants of health and success
• The surprising path that led her into socialprofit leadership and leading organization through its first-ever capital campaign
• What authentic leadership really looks like and why being yourself is your greatest advantage
• Learning to say no, set boundaries, and lead with intention
• The importance of board engagement, collaboration, and collective impact

Laurie also shares her belief that leadership isn't about titles or status - it's about showing up with integrity, building relationships, and leaving things better than you found them. Her perspective on housing, social impact, and community-building offers a powerful reminder that every person deserves a safe place to call home.

Beyond housing, we explore the future of the social profit sector, the importance of measuring impact, and why communities must come together to tackle complex challenges that no organization can solve alone.

At the heart of this episode is a simple but profound truth: Housing changes everything.

Season 3 Episode 3 - Building More Than Homes is streaming now on What’s The Tea with Sarah E.

Learn more about Jaycee Homes and their affordable housing initiatives at https://jayceehomes.ca/

That’s today’s tea! If you loved this conversation, don’t forget to rate, review, and share the show with a friend.

Join the Tea Party! New episodes drop every second Tuesday, so hit that subscribe button on your favorite podcast app. And for the latest episodes, behind-the-scenes clips, and even more bold conversations, follow me on Instagram at @sara_ernest.

A Reminder - The views and opinions expressed by guests on What’s the Tea with Sarah E are their own and do not necessarily reflect those of the host. This podcast is a platform for diverse voices, stories, and perspectives - sometimes unpolished, always unapologetic.

Until next time, keep stirring the pot.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.