Harmony Cafe (Appleton)

Harmony Cafe was co-founded in 2000 by Shannon Kenevan and John Larsen as a traveling arts and music program "where people felt valued, heard, seen and respected, regardless of race, color, religious beliefs, sexual orientation or interests."  

Ironically, the original concept didn't even involve coffee or food service. The mission of Harmony Cafe was to provide a safe and peaceful place to celebrate diversity of people, ideas, and activities. Kathy Flores served as Harmony's first program director.

The project was inspired by a conversation between Shannon and Appleton West High School student Sarah Marjenka. Together, they agreed that the Fox Valley needed a space for generational interactions, activities, and community building. Guided by a vision, core values, and the Check It At the Door Declaration policy, the space would become a home base for people who felt "different."  

Early activities included "Join Hands Day," a national mobilization event that brought murals to downtown Appleton; Java Jives at the Appleton Public Library with free concerts for and by teenagers; and Fridays at Foxley's, a nine-month experiment that brought people together for arts, music, and discussion. Over the course of nine months, over 1,200 people attended a Friday at Foxley's.

On January 1, 2002, Harmony Cafe became a 501(c)3 non-profit program of Goodwill Industries of North Central Wisconsin.  Six months later, the Cafe hosted a strategic planning session to chart the course for its future. Nearly 50 people participated in the process, which determined that Harmony Cafe needed a permanent, safe, spacious home in downtown Appleton with an extended operating schedule.

In October 2003, Harmony Cafe moved to 124 N. Oneida Street, where it opened its first coffeehouse services. In 2009, the business moved to 233 E. College Avenue, where it expanded into two adjoining historic buildings.  

A second Harmony Cafe opened at 1660 W. Mason St. in Green Bay in 2008.

The Harmony Cafes hosted art exhibits, musical performances, stage shows, community groups, and other gatherings for several years. The spaces also included a cybercafe, meeting rooms, a toddler play area, and an exercise space. All retail income was reinvested directly into programs and services.

The Appleton cafe offered a number of LGBTQ support services, including:

• Etcetera, a peer-led and professionally faclitated support group for young LGBTQ adults, hosted meetings at Harmony Cafe from 2006 to 2011. The program offered lessons in self-awareness, professional development, positive social interaction, leadership skills, community involvement, and LGBTQ activism:
• Spectrum, a program for LGBTQ and allies aged 18-108, offered informal conversations, social activities, book discussions, and dinners, with the guiding principle of "many ages, one bond:"
• Valued Families, which promoted family equality for Fox Valley LGBTQ parents and their children by providing social networking, education, outreach, and advocacy to increase recognition and respect for local LGBTQ families;
• GLBT Partnership, an ongoing youth development and support group for youth aged 14-18 who identified as LGBTQ or questioning, and their allies.

Harmony Cafe hosted community picnics in Appleton's Erb Park every summer.

Between 2010-2014, Goodwill spent over $1 million to keep the Harmony Cafes open. They reported that the concept never truly broke even, despite ongoing grant and donor support.

Struggling to keep the doors open, the Harmony Cafes discontinued food services at the end of 2013. Instead of reducing costs, the business continued to suffer financial losses. On November 14, 2014, Goodwill announced that both Harmony Cafes would be closing at the end of the year. The LGBTQ support programs relocated to Goodwill's Menasha campus, but eventually disbanded, reorganized, or merged with other organizations.

"Harmony Cafe was created as a refuge -- an environment where everyone could find dignity, diversity, and respect," said the Appleton Post Crescent on December 23, 2014. "Its absence will create a need that no other organization can replace."