Tea, sympathy and a whole lot more

By Liz Barry

Published: September 13, 2008

“While there’s tea, there’s hope.”

For Clarise Hicks, those words could not resonate more. In February, the Lynchburg native launched Sisters’ Tea for the Soul, a support and networking group for women.

The premise is simple. On the first Saturday of each month, the group meets for a late-morning tea at Merredith’s Fine Dining. The line-up includes fellowship time, a guest speaker and entertainment by local performers.

Why tea? Because of its power to sooth and restore, Hicks said.

Her goal is to provide a space for women to connect, to learn and to heal, a “neutral zone” designed to break down barriers of age, income and ethnicity. As Hicks put it, “The soul has no color.”

“Women need sister time,” she said. “I’m a single mom. It’s been women who helped me get through it.”

Hicks is something of a superwoman. She has three children, and a fourth due in February. She is a receptionist by day and a part-time sales clerk by night. She is a singer, poet and, on top of it all, she is the main force behind Sisters’ Tea for the Soul.

With so much on her plate, Hicks could not have launched the group without help from a behind-the-scenes team — assistant directors Torrie Slaughter and Romeo Rosado, secretary Yvette Vaughan and treasurer Kim Sheppard.

Sept. 6 marked the eighth gathering of Sisters’ Tea for the Soul. This month’s tea was raspberry.

Just after 11 a.m., several women trickled into the restaurant. They were greeted by the sound of classical music and a dining room decorated with white tablecloths and pastel flowers.

The turnout —  about 12 women — was smaller than usual, Hicks said. At several teas, attendance approached 30 women.

The mood was relaxed. Women chatted over steaming cups of tea, while outside rain beat down on the sidewalk.

The entertainment was local comedian Ray Dyke Jr., aka “Sugar Ray.” He was the sole survivor of a drunk driving crash in the Roanoke area 15 years ago.

“I can make fun of everything in the world right now, but the bottom line is I’m lucky to be alive,” he said during his introduction.

His sketch shifted between light humor and messages about life and death. One such moment came as he described the first thing he remembered after the crash.

“I woke up on a hospital bed, strapped down on a ventilator. I had no idea what happened to me . . .  . All I could think was, ‘I’m buck-naked on this table.’”

Dyke was a tough act to follow, but Norma Harrell captivated the audience with a speech on the unlikeliest of subjects: probate.

The Baltimore native knows wills. For 22 years she was the chief deputy registrar of wills for Baltimore City. She dispensed advice on the importance and logistics of creating a will.

Harrell, who lives in Amherst County, is a regular at Sisters’ Tea for the Soul. She enjoys the mix of women she has met through the group, and the tea party atmosphere.

“I think as a woman in this day and age, we tend to gravitate toward shopping and these trips to places, and miss the opportunity to interact with women in a different setting,” she said.

Marisa Thomas of Lynchburg heard about the group through a friend and has been coming since the spring. She’s a stay-at-home mother with six children.

“The tea brings people together,” she said. “I see it as the glue.”

Shirley Cunningham of Lynchburg is now retired, but worked for 29 years before that as a sales person. Each month, Cunningham has met someone new.

“I don’t drink tea, but I think it’s a great opportunity for women to get together, receive information and make friends.”

Beyond bringing women together, Sisters’ Tea for the Soul aims to be a community resource. Hicks is an advocate of small, locally owned business. She thinks it’s better to keep the money in Lynchburg.

“Hopefully, as we feed off each other, we will prosper as a community.”

To that end, Hicks recruits local business owners as guest speakers. She also sets up a resource table at each meeting, stocked with pamphlets, business cards and events fliers. Over time, she hopes Sisters’ Tea for the Soul can become a hub for local knowledge.

The group is working toward nonprofit status, and although it caters to the needs of women, men are encouraged to come.

Romeo Rosado was recently brought in as an assistant director to offer a male perspective.

“Women and men need to work together,” said Rosado, supervisor of youth and neighborhood services for Lynchburg Parks and Recreation.

Sisters’ Tea for the Soul also wants to do more community outreach, especially with the schools.

“It’s about having a little something for everyone,” Rosado said.

Sisters’ Tea for the Soul meets on the first Saturday of each month at 11 a.m. at Merredith’s Fine Dining & Catering in the Plaza, 2323 Memorial Ave. Cost is a $5 donation at the door. For more information, call (434) 258-1187, e-mail   or visit http://www.myspace
.com/sisterstea4thesoul.
October’s tea will feature guest speakers Pat Preston, a five-year breast cancer survivor, and the Mitchell Sisters. Jennifer Petticolas, a founding member of theater troupe, along with a group of actors, will present the play “He Gave Me Flowers” on the topic of domestic violence.