The Genesis House of Tea, in the former Polly Claire’s location, is now open and accepting reservations. The historic tea house will be led by Deven Wallace, lead pastor of Redemption to the Nations Church in Highland Park.
Officials said, "Genesis House of Tea will be open to the community with a full menu of loose-leaf teas and afternoon tea pastries, sandwiches and other food items. However, its main mission will be to bring awareness and assistance to women in the Chattanooga and surrounding communities facing a pregnancy crisis or families seeking to adopt.
The tea house’s vision is to bring restoration of identity, dignity and beauty to women who are facing the pressure of an unplanned pregnancy, while connecting them to viable resources in the local area to help them navigate the situation."
“It is exciting to see the vision of Genesis House of Tea come to life,” said Ms. Wallace. “Our new mission is to link arms with women who are facing a crisis and help restore beauty, identity and dignity within them. We believe our tea house is a step in unlocking new hope and purpose, while helping them see that new beginnings are possible even amid a crisis.”
The Genesis House of Tea will be an addition to the Together Coalition, a group of faith-based organizations dedicated to assisting women in a variety of crisis situations. Under the same umbrella of organizations is the Together Café located on the Redemption to the Nations Church campus, which not only brings awareness, but also assists women in human trafficking one cup of coffee at a time. Operating as a sister business to the Together Café, the Genesis House of Tea will be focused on assisting women who are facing an unplanned pregnancy and helping families who are seeking to adopt one cup of tea at a time. The tea house will be positioned as a resource, much like Together Café, to bridge the gap between non-profit partners and facilities along with women and families on both sides of the spectrum.
“No matter their situation, we want to be a partner to women and families with ready resources in our community,” said Ms. Wallace. “We want to be a place of hosting our community with excellent teas and food, while connecting on a deeper, more valuable level like the Together Café. With the Genesis House of Tea now a part of the Together Coalition, we can bring actionable focus to an additional area we are passionate about serving.”
A portion of the funds from the Genesis House of Tea will be given to its non-profit partners such as Choices Chattanooga, Full Circle Medical Center in Athens and New Hope Pregnancy Care Centers in Cleveland, all areas which Redemption to the Nations Church has a presence.
New teas and a new menu will be available for anyone visiting the restaurant, with an online reservation system. Each room in the tea house will be available to rent for bridal showers, baby showers and birthday parties. Reservations are available to the community now at www.genesishouseoftea.com or by calling 423-521-4832.
The Genesis House of Tea is located at 6178 Adamson Cir, in Chattanooga. You can follow the tea house on Facebook and Instagram. You can also find more information about the Together Café at 801 S Orchard Knob Ave. in Chattanooga, or on their website, www.togethercafe.org.