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Tea for 21—And for a Good Cause

With temperatures pushing 58 degrees, nearly two dozen local residents took a midday break from their grills and wheelbarrows earlier this month for an afternoon tea.

The benefit, hosted by Savvy Tea Gourmet in Madison, raised funds for Bare Necessities, a Clinton-based nonprofit that collects diapers for families in need.

“It was a terrific event,” said Bare Necessities President Beth Loud. “We had 21 guests.”

Savvy Tea, which opened in 2008, carries more than 300 varieties of teas from 14 countries.

“Our passion is educating people about teas and building a tea community,” said Judy Parda, who owns the business with her husband, Phil. “We hold tastings, where we discuss how and where different teas are grown, the shape of the teas, their history, and how they’re processed.”

Parda poured four varieties of artisan tea at the Bare Necessities benefit—rooibos cactus blossom, a naturally caffeine-free red tea high in antioxidants; goji berry green tea; Earl Grey black; and Loud’s personal favorite: lavender mint.

“We also did some beautiful tea sandwiches,” said Parda.

The delicate savories included a mango chicken chutney, Vermont cheddar and ham, and cucumber with cream cheese, followed by a pastry stand with three tiers of lemon curd tarts, pecan bars, and a fudge cake with chocolate-dipped strawberries that Parda described as “decadent.” And of course, no afternoon tea is complete without scones.

“It was wonderful,” guest Galen Morris-Fagan said the following day. “I’m still full.”

Morris-Fagan has known Loud—along with her spouse, Pamela Cyrus, and Bare Necessities Vice President Tina Bascom—for 20 years.

“I came out to support my friends and their wonderful cause,” Morris-Fagan said. “Beth is one of the kindest, most compassionate people I know.”

No stranger to teatime, Morris-Fagan—who attended a high tea in Pasadena—said, “Savvy Tea did a much better job.”

The afternoon tea raised more than $300 for Bare Necessities, and Loud used the opportunity to raise awareness of some of the challenges facing low-income families along the shoreline.

Loud said a baby typically goes through 10 to 12 diapers a day, at a cost of $100 to $120 a month—an expense that families on a fixed income struggle to meet. One in 20 mothers who has had to cut back on other purchases to pay for diapers has reused a disposable diaper, and 36 percent of mothers living in poverty regularly run out of clean diapers for their infants, a necessity not covered by social welfare programs such as WIC or food stamps, because they are considered hygiene items. In Connecticut, baby diapers—unlike adult diapers—are also taxed. A proposal currently before the Connecticut General Assembly seeks to change that, although the state’s massive budget deficit means the bill is not likely to pass this legislative session.

Loud said cloth diapers are not an option for the majority of families in need. Most childcare centers require parents to leave disposable diapers with their child, and many of the families served by Bare Necessities have unstable housing with limited access to washing machines. Public laundromats frequently prohibit washing soiled diapers in their facilities.

In addition to special events such as the afternoon tea, Bare Necessities has dropoff locations at retailers throughout Clinton, Guilford, and Madison, as well as partnerships with merchants who offer customer discounts for every donation. Bare Necessities accepts monetary donations as well as diapers; open packages are welcome.

For more information, visit Bare Necessities on Facebook, call 203-928-7558, or email bare.necessities.ct@gmail.com.