Have you been to the Hard Times Cafe?

WILD BILL'S Coffeeshop in Iowa City may be the only coffee shop inside a school of socialwork. But it's not the only place which mixes coffee and social work in the same place. If you travel around the US, you can find other oases like this one in a number of cities.

In Minneapolis, the Hard Times Cafe is such a place. This worker-owned restaurant has combined coffee and social work since 1992.

Larry Hartigan was a founder of the cafe, which is owned collectively by 12 people, most in their 20s. In fact, the Hard Times takes its name from Hartigan -- who was known by the nickname Hard Times.

Larry will eagerly tell you stories of the cafe and its evolution into a community and social service center. He sounds like one of social work's pioneers as he explains that the Hard Times has been envisioned from the beginning as a place where all are welcome and safe.

Larry describes a process of discovery for employees as they have tried to shape a cafe open to all -- including individuals who are "in crisis." As he talks, one is reminded of Jane Addams describing her work in Twenty Years at Hull House.

Direct social work at the Hard Times now includes:

***Leftover food is distributed to hungry people in the neighborhood. (A nearby bakery and other restaurants help supply this service.)

***Individuals who are unable to pay for a meal may work a "shift" in exchange for food.

***A free "clothes closet" is maintained in a corner of the dining room

***Street Works, an organization which work with homeless youth, holds regular hours at the Hard Times.

***Several people who work at the Hard Times also volunteer at community agencies like Project Offstreets.

The Hard Times also offers an oasis for those seeking basic human relationships, Its doors are open nearly 24 hours a day, seven days a week. The cafe's welcome includes everyone -- including those who are at society's edges and have few other places to go. This, too, is part of social work.

In a talk to social workers, Ernesto Galarza, Chicano scholar and activist, called on the social work profession to play a bigger role in cultivating places where people can experience a sense of community. Every person, even individuals with mental illness, chronic illness or otherwise "severely damaged" should have a chance to "take part in some type of social relationships." he said.

The Hard Times offers a good example of how this could be done. Each time I go back to Minneapolis, it is one of the places I stop to be re-inspired about the potential for serving coffee and social work together.

If you're ever in Minneapolis, drop by 1821 Riverside (near the University of Minnesota) and see this remarkable example of social work practice. Introduce yourself and tell them OT told you about the place. (OT is for Other Tom -- to distinguish me from my son Tom.)