The CommuniTEA Infusion experience is essentially a mobile tea house that comes to a neighborhood street and creates a kind of town square where people can come together, get to know each other better and strengthen connections. One reason this is important in our fast paced society today, is that fewer persons are connected in meaningful ways with community. If however the gathering place comes right to your door, there is a greater chance for meaningful exchange to take place.
 CommuniTea Infusion has no religious or political affiliations and is run by neighbors who are inspired by the possibility that conversations could sow the seeds of building stronger, creative, safer, more connected communities.
It is the Learning Community's strong belief that people working in the disability sector need to understand more deeply the work of community developers. We think that the CommuniTEA Infusion project is the perfect way for us to ally ourselves with some experts in the area, to learn by participating, and to offer our help in neighborhood development work. This is why we are enthusiastic and endorse this project.
View the powerpoint presentation 
We have partnered with the City of Edmonton Neighborhood Revitalization initiative.
We will be working with the McCauley, McDougal and Queen Mary Park Revitalization initiatives and coordinate our events with theirs for the majority of the first year.
CommuniTea Infusion will also be available for all neighborhoods in the Edmonton area.
 The nature of this initiative is such that it requires the contributions of community members to make it work.
The essence of a CommuniTEA Infusion event is to give, connect and contribute.
Organizers and neighbors help set up the event upon arrival, like a barn raising, which engenders the feeling that everyone has cooperated to put the event on. The CommuniTea Infusion event is not just entertainment but a community collaboration.
In this way the event is an inspiration and model opportunity for all of us to take responsibility for making the places we live fun, connected and rich with meaningful interactions among community members.
Artists and musicians can also be invited to bring their talents to the gatherings.
If you are interested in having the CommuniTEA Infusion van come to your neighborhood please contact our coordinator at teavan@edmontonlearningcommunity.com or call 780-686-0529.
Usually we need a contact person from your neighborhood who can spread the word to your fellow neighbors that the tea van is coming to your street on the specific day you request. We have an information package with FAQ’s and fliers to give to your community members explaining what the event will be about and how everyone can contribute.
What happens at the event is as unique as every neighborhood. Some people like to let the conversations flow naturally, while enjoying tea, music and good company and others like to engage a dialogue about important topics that matter to that community. Sky’s the limit with the event.
 
In The Different Drum: Community Making and Peace Dr. M. Scott Peck shares his view that the almost accidental sense of community that exists at times of crisis can be consciously built. Peck believes that the process of "conscious community building" is a process of building a shared story, and consensual decision making, built upon respect for all individuals and inclusivity of difference.
Community connection and social capital are in decline in western cultures. Losing connections with people can foster fear, suspicion, division, hostility, and in the long run we could lose many of our freedoms due to the need to police more aggressive behavior. Our communities seem to be losing some simple keys to building and sustaining human connections with each other. Those being, sharing conversations with neighbors and connecting as a community around food, fun and a gathering place. CommuniTea Infusion is a new project and yet is based on the above, ancient principles of connection with others. We share in the belief that when commonalities and connections between people are found there is a lesser likely hood of persons harming each other and feeling alienated.
“If community exists, both freedom and security exist as well. The community then takes on a life of its own, as people become free enough to share and secure enough to get along. The sense of connectedness and formation of social networks comprise what has become known as social capital.” (Putnam, D. 2000. Bowling Alone: The Collapse and Revival of the American Community, p. 19)
Part of the decline in community engagement may be that people are so busy that they don’t really want to go out of their way to connect. However it is known by sociologists and common sense that places to gather and connect with others is essential to people being happier. Sociologist Ray Oldenburg states in The Great Good Place that people need three places: 1) The home, 2) the office, and, 3) the community hangout or gathering place. (Oldenburg, Ray 2006 Project for Public Spaces)
Welcoming, gathering places are the spring board for people to connect, feel part of a collective and see the value and gifts of each member in a community.
If the gathering place is brought initially to the community members (almost literally to their doorstep with the CommuniTea Infusion mobile cafe), making it easier for people to gather around food, tea and fun, as a means to connect with others, then maybe people will feel less disconnected, reach out and see how they can contribute more to people and community around them.
Please join us in supporting this project in whatever way you can to contribute to and strengthen our communities.
If you are interested in having the CommuniTEA Infusion van come to your neighborhood please contact our coordinator at teavan@edmontonlearningcommunity.com or call 780-686-0529.
Visit us on facebook: http://www.facebook.com
 The City of Edmonton
http://www.edmonton.ca/
Edmonton
http://www.edmonton.ca/city_government/city_organization/neighbourhood-revitalization.aspx
Steeps Tea house on 124 st
http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=2317894162
The Autosource
Imagine Ink
http://www.imagineinkdigital.com/
Auto Imports
Keith's Auto Sandblasting
http://www.weblocal.ca/keiths-auto-sandblasting-ltd-edmonton-ab.html
Dale Nigel Goble
http://www.dng23.com/
Greg from the Air Riders VW club of Edmonton
http://www.airriders.ca/phpBB2/index.php
Action for Healthy Communities
http://www.a4hc.ca/
SKILLS Society
http://www.skillsedm.com/
Paul Freeman
http://www.cbc.ca/artspots/html/artists/pfreeman/
Jim Diers
http://home.comcast.net/~jimdiers/bio.html
Telus Community Board
http://about.telus.com/community/en/boards/
Robert Tegler Trust
http://www.rewedmonton.ca/content_view2?CONTENT_ID=1007
Greg Collins
Edmonton VW and Air riders club hero who donated an engine and lots of time to fix the tea van
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