Emphasizing the "social" in social work

Wild Bill's is a continuing experiment in the "social" part of social work. From the beginning, the coffeeshop's goal has been to bring people together across boundaries which divide us. Our particular mission has been to offer a place for crossing a boundary called "ability." Bob Finch, a longtime friend and supporter of Bill's, calls this "abilities awareness."

But there are other boundaries, too, which we try to cross, including those between student and teacher, and between campus and community. It is an ongoing project, something which continues to unfold.

Our ideas for the role of the coffeeshop come both from those who are here now and from the history of the social work profession. Hull House in Chicago had a coffeeshop before 1900, one of the very first projects of the settlement house started by Jane Addams and Ellen Gates Starr.

>From reading the letters and speeches of Jane Addams, I have discovered that the reasons for the success of the Hull House coffeeshop are quite similar to those for the success of community coffeeshops today. Back then, people wanted a sense of community, a place where they felt they belonged. They also wanted an informal place.

Now, in the 21st century, people who visit Wild Bill's and similar coffeeshops say they come for similar reasons. Customers say that what they like is the informality and the feeling of community which can be found in the coffeeshop. Ray Oldenberg, who wrote a book on coffeeshops and cafes, says the best of these are a "third place" between home and work. (His book echoes some of the themes of a study conducted by Hull House researchers more than a century ago.)

Each day, those who come to Wild Bill's are taking part in our experiment with the "social" in social work. It can be found in art projects and in conversations, in office hours and in student meetings. It can also be found in the music and theater presented in the coffeeshop and in the AA groups which meet at Bill's.

The coffeeshop is an ever-evolving effort in creating a sense of community. It is a place where we can experience "belonging moments," in the words of Jenny Barry, a 2001 MSW grad from the University of Iowa.

As social workers, we can take our experience of these "belonging moments" and try to create opportunities for others to experience them, too