Imagine This.
It’s 3:17 pm. My son is over his post-nap meltdown and he’s ready to play. After working alone all morning I am ready for some adult interaction. I’ve been dialing for play dates for the last half hour. One friend’s child is still napping. One has a cold. One has music class. I think about going to OMSI or the Children’s Museum, but while these outings would satisfy Zachy’s desire to play, I’ll be lucky if I run into someone I know and have a brief conversation before our kids run off to separate places. Today, like many days, we end up staying at home and by 6:45 when my husband gets home, I am having a meltdown.

Now Imagine This.
My son and I go to Café au Play. The post-nap and after-school crowd is dribbling in, hanging up rain coats and shucking boots. Several people come up and ask me how my job search is going. I order coffee and split a sandwich with Zachy. I look around at the new exhibit of paintings by a local artist-dad. Three high school students are playing music on the small stage in one corner and Zachy runs off to watch them. The students are getting credit for a music class and they are besieged by babysitting requests. In the workshop area an elderly woman from a local senior center is teaching knitting to a group of moms.

I sit with some friends and we talk about our lives and exchange information about pediatricians and naturopaths, kindergartens, and other kid-friendly places. I tend to see the same group of people a few times a week because our schedules overlap. The same is true of the morning crowd. Some of us have organized group outings, swap child care, and take food to each other when new babies come along. Café au Play is our home away from home.

Meanwhile Back in Portland…
Last winter I saw a blurb about Café au Play in a neighborhood paper. This was exactly the kind of place I had been longing for since I became a parent. I called the contact number and was heartbroken to learn that Café au Play does not yet have a physical location. But I was inspired to become a volunteer and to help make this idea a reality. As Portlanders, we are blessed with a plethora of places that serve the needs of children for recreation, entertainment, and education. But we need a place that nurtures the people who nurture children. If it takes a village to raise a child, Café au Play will be village square—the place where families come together to share information and support.

Why open as a Nonprofit?
Café au Play is organized as a nonprofit in order to serve our mission of creating a multigenerational community and engaging parents and children in the intellectual and aesthetic life of our community.
As a nonprofit we are able to partner with other nonprofits such as the Multnomah County Library and attract the generous volunteer support of amazing storytellers, musicians, massage therapists, entertainers, and educators who want to showcase their work with families. Having an income stream will make us attractive to grant foundations, which look for organizations with the potential for long-term sustainability. Our business plan calls for the proceeds from café sales to cover operating costs while programs will be offered through a combination of volunteer services and grant support.

Our pilot program, On the Road with Café au Play, has served hundreds of people, involved dozens of volunteers, and has attracted significant media coverage. Café au Play will continue to do events in partnership with local businesses and nonprofits and create community as we go.

Are We There Yet?
We are asking you to help us make Café au Play a reality. We are kicking off a fundraising campaign that will allow us to open this unique and much-needed community resource. Our talented volunteer board have shown themselves capable of mobilizing resources and organizing events that foster community. You have shown yourselves capable of spreading the word far and wide. Thank you! Now we need your support to make Café au Play available everyday. Please join us in founding another one of those Portland institutions that make people wonder, why isn’t everyone doing this?

We look forward to the day when we can open our doors and welcome you in. Want to get there sooner? So do we! You can make it happen by contributing generously to Café au Play.

Cheers!
Daveena Tauber