Still an experiment

Wild Bill's Coffeeshop in Iowa City 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. The particular mission of Bill's has been to offer a place for
crossing a boundary called "ability." Bob Finch, a longtime friend and
supporter, calls this "abilities awareness."

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

Ideas for the role of the coffeeshop come both from the unique history
of Bill's and from the history of the social work profession. Hull
House in Chicago had a coffeeshop before 1900. It was 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 Bil's (and similar ventures)
today. Back then, people wanted a sense of community, a place where
they felt they belonged. They also wanted an informal place.

Now, in 2006, people who visit Wild Bill's say they come for similar
reasons. Customers say that what they like is the informality of the
coffeeshop and its feeling of community. Ray Oldenberg, who wrote a
book on coffeeshops and cafes, says the best coffeeshops 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 take part in an 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 here.

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

We can take these experiences at Bill's (and similar places) and carry
them with us wherever we go. Then we can create new "belonging
moments" for others in the communities where we work and live.