For All Ages is a CT-based nonprofit that “empowers people to build real connections that transform health and life outcomes,” according to Deb Bibbins, founder and CEO of For All Ages.

Bibbins was brought to the Newtown Senior Center on Thursday, September 4 by Maureen Crick Owen and Anna Wiedemann as part of Newtown Suicide Prevention Initiative to recognize and observe National Suicide Prevention Month.

Crick Owen introduced the crowd to Bibbins and her nonprofit, “You’re going to say, ‘Wait, I’m here for Tea @ 3,’ and I’m going to talk about suicide prevention … September is Suicide Prevention Month, and, as we all know, part of suicide prevention is mental health … You can help by socializing and talking to people.”

Bibbins then invited the crowd to grab lunch that was provided by Wiedemann before she started her program. Bibbins shared that For All Ages offers free, intergenerational programs and social health education. For All Ages aims to give people the tools that they need to “improve social connectivity and improve their health.” One of those programs is called Tea @ 3.

Tea @ 3

Bibbins said that this program, Tea @ 3, is For All Ages’ signature intergenerational program. It pairs one young adult, who are, statistically, the loneliest generation, with an older adult.

“We pair two people one-to-one, and we introduce them, and they decide on the day and the time each week for a call, so all they need is a telephone,” Bibbins explained. The program takes place over one college semester, and she said that many times, the people stay connected past the semester — some people even choose to repeat the program.

Tea @ 3 launched during the pandemic. At this point, this is For All Ages’ 11th session, and over 700 people have participated. Bibbins added that there have been “phenomenal results.”

Bibbins continued, “For All Ages was founded ten months before the pandemic in 2019, and we started off connecting people in person … the world shut down in March of 2020, and we spent the summer wondering what we were going to do. We created this as one of our options, and it’s turned into our signature program.”

Not only is this program aimed at improving mental health, but tea has been shown to have many health benefits for the mind and body. Bibbins explained some of those benefits as well.

Health-Tea

Bibbins went over several different kinds of tea, including the difference between “real tea” and herbal tea. “Real” teas come from the same plant, Camellia sinensis. There are four kinds of “real” tea: black, green, white, and oolong tea. Each tea has a different level of caffeine, taste, and health benefits depending on the curing process used for the leaves.

Black tea has the most caffeine, about 50 milligrams (mg) per cup, and may help strengthen bones. Green tea has some caffeine, about 30 mg, and can boost mental alertness and raise metabolic rate to help burn more calories. Oolong tea can have more caffeine than green tea and may help to reduce inflammation and offer some immune system protection. White tea is the last kind of “real” tea, and it has little caffeine. White tea is made from young tea leaf buds that are then rapidly steamed and dried. White tea can help keep blood vessels open and break down body fat.

All “real” teas have antioxidants in them. In fact, Bibbins said that one cup of tea offers the same amount of antioxidants as 16 cups of blueberries. There is an amino acid in tea that can help alleviate stress and anxiety as well.

Bibbins also briefly talked about rooibos tea, which is naturally caffeine free, “has an awful lot of antioxidants, and it’s also known to provide these benefits of just feeling calmer.” She then shared that all herbal teas are caffeine free.

At the end of her brief lecture on tea and its health benefits, Bibbins then talked more about the Tea @ 3 program and offered sign up sheets to interested parties. Kathy McKee was the first person to sign up.

The application deadline for this fall has passed, but the program will return in the spring of 2026.

For more information about For All Ages and the Tea @ 3 program, go to forallages.org.

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Reporter Sam Cross can be reached at sam@thebee.com.