The Inspiration Behind Early Bird Work & Play Café

Early Bird Work & Play Café was born out of one of the most challenging seasons of my life. During a trip to East Moline to visit my husband, who had been unconstitutionally imprisoned over a mere traffic violation, I found myself holding together a family shaken by pain and uncertainty. The hurt and trauma that my children and I experienced felt like a thousand swords piercing all at once.

On one of those visits, I decided to turn our pain into purpose. I wanted to make the best of a difficult situation and create a joyful moment for my children, so we crossed the Mississippi River into Iowa and visited a children’s museum. Watching my children laugh, play, and rediscover their joy reminded me that healing begins in spaces filled with love, learning, and togetherness. That experience planted the seed for what would later become Early Bird Work & Play Café, a haven for families to reconnect, restore, and rise above life’s challenges.

With more than 20 years of experience working in licensed childcare facilities, I’ve seen how vital safe, nurturing environments are for children’s growth, and how important it is for parents to have support, too. My passion for children and families has always been at the heart of my work. Through our family’s nonprofit, ULON (United Legion One Nation), we’ve long served men, women, and teens by providing reentry support, workforce development, emotional healing, and mentorship. Yet we realized that to break generational cycles, we needed to reach the entire family.

Early Bird Work & Play Café bridges that gap. While ULON uplifts individuals reentering society and seeking new beginnings, Early Bird uplifts the family as a whole offering a warm, inclusive space where parents can work or relax while their children learn and play safely nearby.

Right now, Early Bird operates as a donation-based, “pay-what-you-can” model, allowing families from all walks of life to experience the space regardless of their financial circumstances. We’ve seen firsthand how this model has brought comfort and community to struggling parents, especially young mothers. Our next goal is to secure the capital needed to fully build out and open Early Bird as a sustainable indoor playground and café, a community cornerstone that combines family wellness, play, and empowerment under one roof.

Early Bird Work & Play Café is more than a business, it’s a vision for healing families, empowering mothers, and rebuilding communities one cup of coffee, one child’s smile, and one restored heart at a time.

-Shanee Edwards-Keller www.earlybirdplay.com