Review: Harmony Cafe in Green Bay, Wisconsin

An acquaintance of mine, a school guidance counselor, recommended that I visit the Harmony Café in Green Bay, Wisconsin. She said this café was also a very nice place to take my children since the cafe participates in many community activities for people of all ages. Besides having had the best hot sweet chai tea I have ever had, I appreciate that this café is a non-profit, community-minded establishment.

Harmony Café is a green café. They only use locally roasted organic beans. The environment is clean, warm, and friendly. The walls are painted in warm burgundy, deep orange, and sage. The lighting is soft. Comfortable chairs and couches are placed along the perimeter while tables and chairs fill the inner area. There is a small pre-school section for the little ones' interests and board games and books for older children and adults. Harmony Cafe is also a cyber cafe and offers several computers set along one wall for customers to use.

When my daughter and I first visited the café, they were holding a piano recital practice on the stage. Children of all ages had the opportunity to practice in front of café customers. Some sang as well. My daughter and I appreciated the community involvement in the arts and how it was being done in this way.

Harmony Café offers a delectable menu that includes wraps, salads, sandwiches, and more. Their menus have a calendar that highlights the month's events. Some example of events are live music evenings, a knitting club, and open mic night.

When I noticed an employee taking a break I asked her if she could give me a moment of her time. I explained that I wanted to write an article about the café and she was happy to oblige. I found out that Harmony Café is affiliated with Goodwill Industries of North Central Wisconsin. The monetary support from the café helps to offer unique and exceptional programs to the community. When I asked the employee what the most important concept about the café was she referred me to the Harmony Café Check it at the Door Declaration. This declaration states:

I believe: that ALL people should be valued and appreciated; that every person is a treasure worthy of dignity & respect; that diversity in humans is a strength; that by pre-judging people and by holding biases, I will miss the beauty within each individual person.

I realize: that it is natural for people to be uncomfortable with those who are different from themselves, but I will work to overcome these feelings; that people have different abilities, appearances, beliefs, ethnicities, experiences, and identities, and I realize that the world is a better place because of these differences.

I pledge: to be aware of my biases and the ways I pre-judge people; to try to get to know the person who may look, dress, think, or live differently than I do; to check my biases and my temptation to pre-judge people at the door.

I believe the declaration speaks for itself. Along with the declaration, Harmony Café has another vision. Arts and culture are highly valued. Harmony Café encourages people to share thoughts and ideas. The café wishes to create a safe space for the community. The vision is to encourage co-existence and unity. To promote communication among community members, conference rooms are available for meetings to discuss numerous topics, some of which are rather controversial.

When you visit Harmony Café, remember that you are there for more than a hot cup of coffee or a lunch time sandwich. You are taking part in a supportive community that strives to enhance harmony among people and to create opportunities for all.

Resources:

Harmony Cafe Check it at the Door Declaration is the writings created by Harmony Cafe.