CommuniTEA Infusion 2022
The CommuniTEA Infusion project is a fun social innovation initiative of Skills Society that builds community and supports the inclusion and citizenship of individuals with disabilities. It does so by using a funky, quirky, refurbished 1973 Volkswagen Van as its hub! The Tea Van’s sole purpose is to create an atmosphere where anyone and everyone is welcome to gather, play games, drink tea, and socialize. In doing so, it builds connections between individuals that have been otherwise lost in today’s busy, fast-paced, technology driven society.
The Tea Van builds community all around the City of Edmonton through its lively, colorful energy! We attend a wide range of events from varying sized block parties, to markets, to large City events. This season from May-October was the Tea Van’s first in-person season since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. Although slow to start, we had a busy, successful season from mid-July until the end of September, attending a total of 23 events! We even attended two events in one day in early September! We attended several block parties hosted by people that Skills Society serves that brought the community surrounding them together. In addition, this was the first season attending public markets, including Al-Fresco on 104, a market and block party downtown, and the Ritchie Public Market, a completely community-based market. We made several new connections and partnerships this season to reconnect with and continue to pursue next year.
"We had a busy, successful season attending 23 events from July through to the end of September”
We had several hard working and community minded individuals work and volunteer their time to make the CommuniTEA Infusion project happen, including 5 volunteer drivers and 8 Community Builders. All of the drivers and community builders brought their own energy to each Tea Van event and made the season a success. Over the summer, it was wonderful to see the connections and friendships blooming between volunteers, community builders, event hosts, and attendees of the events. We finished off the season with a gathering at the Skills Society Action Lab, sharing a meal and a Tea Van ice cream cake together. We spent the evening sharing stories of the Tea Van, reminiscing about our favorite memories, and crafting our vision for next season.
Our Lead Community Builder, Jennie, dedicated her time this season pouring her heart and soul into the CommuniTEA Infusion project! Jennie had experience working for the Tea Van in previous seasons. Jennie was the go-to person for making buttons and made hundreds throughout the season. She was always encouraging other people to come see the Tea Van by spreading the word of free iced tea and buttons. She was an excellent model for the other community builders and made connections with others through her shining personality and caring heart. Jennie was particularly endearing towards the children that came to play games and make buttons, as well as the animals that came to see us! Jennie took the initiative to encourage us to make personalized buttons, inspired by the buttons she made of her beloved cat, Mitzy. Upon talking to Jennie personally, she expressed making pins and buttons, as well as gathering together and meeting new people, as highlights of the season. In addition, she loved seeing the long lineup for buttons at the Windermere event the Tea Van attended! Jennie worked incredibly hard this season, and the Tea Van would not have been the same without her!
It is with much gratitude that we close out the 2022 season. We can hardly wait to get things rolling again in the spring of 2023!
The CommuniTEA Infusion project was generously financially supported in 2022 by the RBC Foundation and Edmonton Community Foundation. The RBC Foundation has been a devoted longstanding financial partner, enabling the continued viability of this innovative project.
Jennie, lead community builder for 2022
This post was written by Brittany Wichers, the 2022 CommuniTEA Infusion Project Coordinator