Tea Lovers Supporting Aid Efforts in Ukraine
I just received my set of hand-printed tea towels from Joanna Condino of the Three Pines Studio in Michigan that support the World Central Kitchen’s work to feed refugees and displaced Ukrainians. Today’s post connects with two others. One article was about a Ukrainian tea farm project, “Tea In Ukraine” by Maksym Malyhin and another was announcing the winner of T Ching’s annual tea poetry contest – Joann Condino. Today I connect the dots that this creative woman is not only touching our hearts with her words but also feeding people in great and tragic need with her fine art skills.
Tea Towels as Art for Humanity
Many of us continue to look for ways to take action during this war. How can our love of tea connect with this desire. Collecting and giving these custom tea towels has resulted in (to date):
- $53,000 sent to World Central Kitchen in three months
- 1530 sets of towels purchased
- 41 U.S. states + Puerto Rico and Canada have participated in this fundraiser
- Sets of towels being delivered to Ukrainian
About the Tea Towels
The beautiful towels are 100% linen hand wood-blocked in the colors of the Ukraine flag. The yellow in the Ukraine flag represents wheat and the official flower of Ukraine is the sunflower. The design was created by artist, Joann Condino who, with the help of other artists and volunteers in the Cross Village, Michigan community, continue to manufacture each towel by hand.
In March, Joann was featured on local 9 & 10 TV News by Monika ZacharaZak Triplett:
In the interview she said,
“I’ve been trying to think of how I can make something like the poppy of world war two that individuals can wear, or have and I guess this is my poppy…I’m not gonna stop until there is peace. If that means I woodblock til I’m 80, guess I’m gonna woodblock til I’m 80.”
