Panic, shock, celebration, and uncertainty spread quickly through the air of Westchester, NY on November 9 (the day after 2016 election). There was doom, gloom, and cheer (depending on your vote). We scheduled our SRINA tea social months prior and joked that attendees would have tea or tears. Well, the mood was filled with SRINA tea, tears and hope at The Milestone School that rainy Wednesday evening. The morning of the tea social I felt a lack of enthusiasm around the event as many Clinton supporters were in no mood to have tea after the results of the election. I asked my team if we should reschedule? Allow people on both sides to settle with the reality of our new President Elect and raise our tea cups after the new year.
That suggestion quickly passed as I reflected on the history of the SRINA brand which came to life towards the end of the Civil war in Sri Lanka. We started this journey with minimal resources and experience with mostly female small scale tea workers from both sides of the conflict coming together to be an essential part of SRINA. We found hope in the tea leaf which provided a commodity for which we could build a sustainable business venture. As Americans, we will need to go deep within ourselves and our community to find solutions to the problems that lie ahead. On November 9th, a group from New York and New Jersey came together in spite of the tone of the day to have tea, share our thoughts on the election and spread HOPE. We paired delicious food representing America, Sri Lanka, Peru and allowed our palate to explore the delicate taste of organic green teas, the warm Autumn tones of Chai, and our SRINA signature oolong tea. While the country was divided, we sat together, as a group of women, men, and students in Westchester to share, listen, eat, and drink tea. In times of great uncertainty, we encourage our SRINA Tea Club members to raise your tea cups to community and moving forward.
We enjoyed spreading cheer with all our guests:
"I had an amazing time at the Srina Tea Social. Both the various teas and the accompanying appetizers were beautifully presented and absolutely delicious. I loved learning about the health benefits of the various teas. I was equally impressed to learn how the manufacturing of the tea has contributed economically to the development of the village and employed many women. I think that aspect of the company is amazing. Being able to educate both myself and my son about tea will have a lasting effect, as now we are both more conscious of the types of teas, the flavoring, and the time of day one should be drinking tea. I am very grateful for the experience and will surely be looking to explore the tea club and ordering from Srina." - Randi G.
"Last Wednesday I was invited to a Srina Tea Informational Session. It was very inspiring, motivational and quite different from the mundane day to day activities. The session consisted of delicious organic foods and a variety of teas. The teas were labeled and each were individually described by the facilitator as beneficial in specific areas of the body, ailments, or mental state. I have to commend Mrs. Porter who presented the teas in such a relaxing, inviting way, which makes people want to "Be healthy!" I am extremely excited about these teas and will continue to pass on the word." - Moniqui D.
