Welcome to the Tea @ 3 Community

For centuries, tea has been used for far more than quenching thirst. Around the world people drink it to relax, reinvigorate and soothe, and it's something we need now more than ever.

Did you know that the mental and physical benefits of drinking tea are documented in numerous scientific studies? These benefits include:

* Reducing anxiety and improving mood via the amino acid L-theanine;

* Reducing the risk of cognitive decline by 50%; and

* Preventing cardivascular disease and increasing lifespan via polyphenols, a compound found in both black and green tea.

Siri is a student at Amherst College, class of ’24, studying Neuroscience and Economics. She joined the For All Ages team in 2021 as the organization’s first university Campus Connector. 

As our university Campus Connector Coordinator, Siri is looking forward to helping expand the Campus Connector role to other campuses, further reaching the younger generation and fostering intergenerational connectivity through the Tea @ 3 Community.

Email Siri to ask questions or to learn more about becoming a Campus Connector at your school.

We are seeking one student attending college at each of the following CT universities* to spread awareness of our Tea @ 3 Community and other volunteer opportunities among fellow students:

• Quinnipiac University
• UConn - Hartford campus
• University of Hartford
• University of St. Joseph
• Wesleyan University
• Yale University

If you are interested in becoming a Campus Connector, please email Deb at deb.bibbins@forallages.org to schedule an interview.

*If you are attending a local college not listed above, contact Deb to talk about whether a campus connector may benefit your school community.

We may call you in the days leading up to the start of the session to confirm your commitment to talking weekly with your Tea-Mate, to follow up on any special circumstances you may have noted when you applied.

We are receiving partial funding for this program via the North Central Area on Aging. If you are age 60+ living in CT towns served by the NCAAA, we will contact you to gather additional demographic information to comply with Older Americans Act funding requirements. Thank you for your cooperation!

We plan to mail welcome kits for the spring 2023 Community via USPS in mid February 2023. 

That's okay! Tea has health benefits and we're providing you with 12 tea bags so that you can enjoy tea during your weekly calls with your Tea-Mate. But if you decide coffee - or water - is more your thing, that's perfectly fine. And you can still refer to your matched friend as your Tea-Mate, because (s)he really is a teammate.

The more information you provide about your interests, the easier it is for us to find your Tea-Mate. Tell us about your interests, whether they be TV shows, sports, music, gardening, travel, reading. etc. Into country music? Cool! UConn basketball fan? Awesome! Tell us what you love and we'll do our best to find you a Tea-Mate with similar interests.

We are pairing Tea-Mates in mid-February 2023. We want to find you the right Tea-Mate, so please give us some time. We'll email you and your Tea-Mate together in September, introducing you to each other and sharing each other's first names and phone numbers.

That's okay! The idea is that you sit down to enjoy a cup of tea in the afternoon knowing that other members of the Tea @ 3 community are doing the same thing. And during your first conversation with your Tea-Mate, you both should agree on the most convenient day and time for your weekly call. It's okay if the conversations occur each week on Tuesdays at 3:00 pm or on Fridays at 2:00 pm. Talking with your Tea-Mate each week is the key component of the Tea @ 3 community and so finding the time that works best for both of you is important.

That is entirely up to you and your Tea-Mate. We believe that a 20+ minute conversation is an appropriate time to get to know and then catch up with your Tea-Mate each week. Our past Tea-Mates have told us that they like to talk for 30-45 minutes - or even sometimes one hour - each week. The length of your calls is up to you and your Tea-Mate! 

We do our best to connect a younger and older adult with similar interests. And we ask that you make a real attempt to make a new friend! That being said, if after 4 conversations it's not working out, simply contact us at deb.bibbins@forallages.org and we'll call you to talk through the situation.

You should exercise the same care over your privacy as you would in any other person-to-person interaction. Avoid giving any personally identifying information and remember that no Tea-Mate should ever ask for money, ID or credit card information. If (s)he does, please suspend communication and get in touch with us immediately at deb.bibbins@forallages.org.

If you live in or attend college in CT or at Amherst College in MA, we welcome you to join our spring 2023 Community!  

We're excited to have students from the University of Connecticut, Central Connecticut State University, Trinity College, Wesleyan University, and Amherst College participating in the spring 2023 community. 

We are capping participation at 50 older adults and 50 younger adults.

The spring 2023 community will last for approx.12 weeks beginning in mid-February 2023 and continuing through the end of April. 

After that time, check out one of our on-line newsletters or this website to sign up to continue your community participation for another approximate 12-week period beginning in September 2023.