Tea & Talk was started in June 2022 to provide a safe place for displaced Ukrainians, many women single or alone with their children, to gather and support each other in their early days in Canada. In the first year, we met almost every month. On December 22, 2024, Tea & Talk celebrated its third potluck Winter Feast at St Philip's, attended by about 50 people, including some families from the first gatherings in summer 2022. Below are words of Vitalii who sent his appeciation for what St Philip's and Tea & Talk volunteers have done. Vitalii embodies these people.
"I want to sincerely thank you for organizing yesterday’s evening gathering. I remember our first meetings, and I must say that over the past 2–3 years, we have come to feel almost at home with you. Our Canadian friends ... have become like family to us.
The Tea and Talk Club has also helped many Ukrainians connect and build friendships with fellow Ukrainians. These conversations allow us to take a break from the daily negative news coming from Ukraine, which has been ongoing for nearly three years now. We have loved ones—youth, families, and friends—back home who continue to fight for their survival.
Every day, we are slowly becoming more Canadian. My three grandchildren were born here in Vancouver. I never imagined that I would grow old in a foreign land, especially without knowing the language.
Like all Ukrainians—and many others around the world—we long for an end to the war and a return to peaceful lives.
Liuba and I wish you all continued health, happiness, and good spirits in the coming year. We sincerely wish you all the best and want you to know how much we love and appreciate each of you."
Image: Zlata in June 2024 with her depiction of "me" with colours of Ukraine and of Canada around her. Photo by Debbie Matheson