page_title: Housing Works
section_title: Bookstore Cafe & Bar
hierarchical_section_title: Housing Works / Operations / Bookstore Cafe & Bar
caption_attribution_description: English: Housing Works Cafe and Bookstore in SoHo, New York City. April 2015.
context_page_description: Housing Works is a New York City based non-profit fighting AIDS and homelessness. The charity is well known for its entrepreneurial businesses including a chain of Thrift Shops, which supports efforts to end AIDS and homelessness. They are also known for their social justice activism. As of March 2017, the organization has served 30,000 clients.
  In 1990, four members of the AIDS activist group ACT UP—Keith Cylar, Charles King, Eric Sawyer and Virginia Shubert—decided to dedicate themselves to serving one of New York City’s most neglected populations: the tens of thousands of homeless men, women, and children in New York City living with HIV and AIDS. The activists called their new group Housing Works because they believed that stable housing was the key to helping HIV-positive people live healthy and fulfilling lives and to prevent the further spread of the virus.
context_section_description: Founded in 1994 and located in Soho on Crosby St, the bookstore cafe is a successful entrepreneurial business raising money to support the Housing Works mission. Run primarily by a team of specially trained volunteers, the bookstore is funded entirely by donations, and resells both in the retail space and online. Free and ticketed events occur throughout the week, and the space is available for privately rented parties, lectures, and is a very popular wedding destination. Events range from story time and sing a long for babies, a middle-grade book group, storytelling, trivia, screenings, activist talks, comedy, music, and performance (artists include Iron and Wine, Bjork, The Black Keys, Conor Oberst, and more), and many literary events celebrating established writers and new talent. The venue hosts twice-monthly editions of The Moth StorySLAM. The Cafe & bar is fully licensed to sell beer, wine, liquor, and hot and cold drinks in addition to a range of food items. The space has been featured in numerous movies and TV episodes, most recently Law & Order SVU.
caption: Housing Works Cafe and Bookstore in SoHo, New York City
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