🍉 July Newsletter

Hello tea friends!

Here we are at the midway point of 2026 – grateful, inspired, and exhausted.

In today's newsletter, we'll be sharing...

☀️ Solstice Event Recap
✅ Member Drive Reflections
🐢 Summer Slowdown Plans

But first, our July calendar and some housekeeping notes:

Housekeeping:

• Reminder that you can find The Tea Stand every Sunday (12-6pm) in Maria Hernandez Park!
• Silent Sanctuary – our event series of shared silence and no screens – will likely resume in September.
• If you'd like to volunteer, you can join our group chat here.

☀️ Solstice Event Recap

A couple weeks ago, on the summer solstice, we hosted one of our most meaningful events in Tea Stand history!

Our summer solstice "teapotluck" event was many things: a release party for bōcha issue #5 (our newest, riso-printed zine), a member drive / appreciation event, and of course, a celebration of the longest day of the year.

We gathered in Eldert Street Garden – a community garden off the Halsey L and a wonderful refuge from the hot city streets – to celebrate all of it, and all of you.

Over 100 people attended the teapotluck throughout the day – friends, neighbors, supporters, and strangers. Everyone received a bag of bōcha (hojicha) and a custom button to mark the occasion (thanks Arnie & ziggy!)

Folks participated in a range of activities throughout the 6-hour event: a guided meditation and solstice ritual, a tea bag cyanotyping session (led by Juniper Sokolov), and a discussion panel featuring the zine contributors (led by Mae Nagusky).

My favorite moment came just before the discussion panel, when a few of the contributors performed live readings of their zine submissions. Their poetry and gentle prose touched us all, especially those of us who were a part of Perpetual Brew, whether as a visitor or host. And Mae played a part of "Day 17 𖦹 Garden" episode of the Perpetual Brew podcast, which predictably brought me to tears (listen here).

The air teemed with joy; gratitude was flowing, smiles everywhere. John brought homemade sourdough and honey, Andrea shared lavender and chamomile cupcakes, and Ben (founder of The Student Kitchen) grilled up plant-based hot dogs and served some delicious sunflower noodles for dinner.

For those who missed out on the merch – we're planning on re-stocking the hats and adding some copies of bōcha issue #5 to our online marketplace in August.

So much love to everyone who made this event so special – the volunteers, Rodrigo and Lily of Eldert Street Garden, the Brew Crew, and beyond. We're hoping to do more solstice events moving forward, stay tuned! More thank you's and photos here.

✅ Member Drive Reflections

June was our member drive month – a month-long effort to receive more support through our membership program, all with the hopes of reaching financial sustainability and building local autonomy.

The member drive went... all right. Our goal was to reach $2k in monthly contributions by the end of the month. We started the month at $1,350 and ended the month at $1,465, which means we made it about 20% of the way to our goal. A far way from the destination, but an above average month in terms of new signups.

Almost 20 folks became members in June, and some existing members upgraded to a higher tier (to upgrade: log in to our website and click "Your Account"). Thank you all!

Despite falling well short of our member drive goal, morale is high. How could it not be following such a heartwarming event, the publication of our best zine yet, and the collective joy consistently present at The Tea Stand?

Well, a more financially-focused person might respond, you're still losing money every month, and even if you do reach $2k in monthly donations, that still wouldn't be enough for you to live! And they'd be right!

But, as friend and chashi Adin reminds me, the most important two things are on our side: time and people. I've got enough savings to keep us afloat for at least another year, and the amount of people offering to help, collaborating in a million unique ways, and becoming a part of the Tea Stand tapestry continues to tick up & up & up.

We may have a while to go, but we're on our way there!

Another warm thank you to all of our members; the folks who financially and spiritually enable The Tea Stand to exist as it does: rooted in local connections, free from capitalistic influence, and overflowing with love.

If you have any experience in fundraising – applying for grants, organizing a member drive, etc. – and you're interested in helping The Tea Stand reach long-term sustainability, reply to this email and let's chat!!

🐢 Summer Slowdown Plans

It's been an intense few months – Perpetual Brew in April, zinemaking and tons of events in May, and all the prep work and labor that came with the summer solstice in June.

Which is why, as we emerge from our first severe heatwave of the summer, we're going to be slowing down this summer. Less collaborations, less biking around in the heat, more rest, more time submerged in water (or running through playground sprinklers).

Our regular programming – Sundays in MHP (host: ziggy), monthly in HVK (host: Noah), monthly in Prospect Park (host: Steph), and the monthly food distribution with Riders4Rights – will continue as is. But all other events and collaborations will be on pause until September.

Slowing down while everything else is speeding up is no easy task, but I've been longing and planning for a Summer of Rest in the same way a kid counts down the days until the last day of school.

When I think of this summer, I've been imagining myself as a turtle. Like the ones in Prospect Park, who seem quite content finding a sunny spot on a log, staying there for hours, and jumping back into the water when they get too hot or a tourist gets too close to them.

There's only one turtle species native to Vancouver Island – the Western Painted Turtle – which is where I'll be traveling for the last two weeks of July. From July 17 thru the end of the month, I'll be taking a break from The Tea Stand: expect long delays in replies to texts, DMs, and emails!

If you haven't already, perhaps now is a good time to consider what you're wishing for this summer. Adventure, movement, travel? Stillness, rest, slow days? Fireflies, popsicles, bubbles? A balance of it all? Something else entirely?

Whatever you may be seeking this summer, I hope you find it. And if you're not sure where to start, consider coming by The Tea Stand – I can say from experience that talking with neighbors and strangers is a reliable method for finding a way forward, one step at a time.

Wishing you well! Stay cool!

That's all for now! Thanks to...

All the new members: Kendall, Riba, Zack, Joy, Jess, Nadine, Tip, Francesca, Liz, Leighanne, David, Hannah, Alexander, Karen, Lavina, Nikki, and Mateo.

Those who donated tea: Kenny, Ariel, and Sophia.

You, for reading! Hope to share tea with you soon.

Keep Steeping,
Miles 🍵