Like many others, our family and business has been deeply impacted by mental illness (see the statistics below). We have seen both the power of treatment to heal and restore dignity and the devastation of untreated mental illness. We want to use our tea sales to help raise funds to support mental health research and treatment by supporting The Foundation of Hope https://walkforhope.com/ with a portion of the proceeds from our Mental Health Dessert Tea Pack and the Angus Barn inspired teas. See the dessert Tea Pack here: https://somscafe.com/product/mental-health-awareness-dessert-tea-pack/
A Few Statistics about Mental Health in America
- 1 in 5 children & adults face a mental health disorder in a year
- 2 in 5 children who need mental health treatment do not receive it
- 81% said treatment helped them to get well & stay well
The Foundation of Hope
We first became aware of The Foundation of Hope when Lance was working at the Angus Barn during his 14 year tenure there. The Angus Barn started The Foundation of Hope in 1984 to help fund mental health research at UNC. As of 2019 the Foundation of Hope (and their Walk for Hope) has awarded 147 scientific research grants totaling more than $6.1 million. These funds have leveraged an additional $155 million from the National Institute of Health (NIH) and other federal agencies.
In addition to the millions of dollars the Foundation of Hope has awarded in research grants, they also support mental health treatment on the ground level. They have awarded $610,000 to 44 local mental health initiatives, equipping grassroots organizations with the means to improve the lives of their neighbors in need.
After we started our tea blending business in 2020 Van Eure (the owner of the Angus Barn) asked me to create an Apple Pecan Tea. I got very excited not only about making that tea, but to make a whole line inspired by their award winning desserts with a desire to give back into their Foundation of Hope.
The Dessert Tea Pack
The Dessert Tea Pack features four Angus Barn inspired teas: Apple Pecan, Banana Caramel, Grand Marnier Parfait, and Belgian Chocolate Rooibos. The Apple Pecan Tea pairs nicely with their classic Pecan Pie and Betty’s deep dish Apple Crisp Cobbler. The Banana Caramel Tea features real banana and pairs with their Sawdust Pie full of nuts and topped with fresh banana, whipped cream, and a caramel drizzle. The Grand Marnier Parfait Tea pairs with the dessert of the same name which has raspberry sorbet in Grand Marnier with orange garnish. The Belgian Chocolate Rooibos pairs with their award winning Chocolate Chess Pie (my personal favorite). These teas are delicious as a treat by themselves or paired with their wonderful desserts. Just make sure you make a reservation first https://www.angusbarn.com/.
From WRAL 9/10/2020:
The Angus Barn is “among the best restaurants in the country – Last year, Restaurant Business Magazine named The Angus Barn to its top 100 independent restaurants in the country. Angus Barn was No. 15 on the list. It was the only North Carolina restaurant on the list.” https://www.wral.com/vca-spotlight-5-facts-about-the-angus-barn/19263356/
We will always be thankful to the Angus Barn for all we learned there about customer service, fine dining, and especially for their wine training program and Lance’s Sommelier Certification. They have been a leader in the restaurant industry in so many ways, but we are especially thankful for their transformation model and community impact through The Foundation of Hope.
To purchase the dessert Tea Pack click here: https://somscafe.com/product/mental-health-awareness-dessert-tea-pack/.
Thank you for supporting our efforts to impact Mental Health initiatives by purchasing these delicious teas.
