![]()
CourtesyMaking friends as an adult is hard. Between work schedules, family obligations, and taking care of a home, many people find it hard to get out and meet new people with whom they can build a community. Pair that with being a transplant in a new state with no ties, and it can feel downright impossible to find a community that supports you in your times of need or even just to go out for a casual cup of coffee.
This was the position Felicia York found herself in over the past year.
“This past winter was really hard, and the summer before that was too,” York explains, describing her clinical depression. She moved here a little over two years ago to be with her fiancé, Bryant Rozier, after living in North Carolina for several years. While Felicia is no stranger to moving and making a home wherever she is, it was hard to make friends.
“A lot of people here ask about what high school you went to,” she adds. “It’s one of the first things they ask you.”
Not having this common answer made York feel like an outsider, and after an especially hard summer and winter, feeling isolated and alone, she decided to do something for people who were like her and looking for a group to call their own.
In January, York officially launched the
Fort Wayne Social Club, hosting monthly coffee chats at local cafes, mixers at Swizzle Marketplace, nights out at the ballet or baseball games, and other unique social events. The group originally had a following of ten to fifteen regulars who would show up consistently.
![]()
Fort Wayne Social Club walking together at Lindenwood Nature Preserve.Then, when they created the Coffee Crawl, sponsored by
Utopia Coffee, in June, the small group quickly expanded.
“I initially thought maybe like 25 people who show up to the regular events would come, but that’s not what happened at all,” York says.
Instead, Fort Wayne Social Club saw over 450 different drink ratings during their Coffee Crawl, and several participating businesses noted they were getting upwards of 35 specialty drink orders per day.
“It’s amazing,” York adds. “I really thought nobody would care, but then it just kind of blew up.”
Now, Fort Wayne Social Club is hoping to find similar success with a new event, but this time focused on books, rather than coffee. On Memorial Day, they introduced a Summer Reading Challenge that lasts until Labor Day weekend. The collaboration with
Moss Heart Books, a curated bookshop located inside Swizzle Market, is designed to encourage people to sit down and take the time to rediscover the joy of reading.
York explains that as an adult, it can be hard to find time to sit down and read, so she pulled inspiration from the reading challenges often issued to grade school children in libraries or schools, and created a version that rewards adults for jumping back into reading. And yes, she says, it does include a pizza party for those who participate.
Fort Wayne Social Club and their business co-host, Austin Wilson, the owner and operator of Moss Heart Books, composed the full Summer Reading List and are co-hosting the challenge on the
FWSC Facebook group,
FWSC Instagram, and the
Moss Heart Books Instagram.
![]()
Courtesy“Try your best to complete all the books, but as long as you're reading and having fun, that’s all that matters,” Yorks says, mentioning she’s received a lot of questions and interpretations about the challenge. “Some people have messaged me about how one book crosses off multiple categories, and honestly – you go, queen!”
Participants are asked to follow both organizations, post the books as they read them, and caption them with “#fwreads.” With a call to read different genres, authors, and categories of books, there is something for everyone to enjoy and explore, making it easy to qualify for the pizza reward at the end of the challenge. Most of the books can be found within the Moss Heart Books store, highlighting different genres and categories curated by Wilson.
![]()
The Summer Reading Challenge From Fort Wayne Social Club and Moss Heart Books.
York says partnering with Moss Heart Books was an easy choice, adding that she ensures each business she partners with aligns with the group's ideals of being fun, open, inclusive and affordable.
For Wilson, the same childhood nostalgia of books and libraries that inspired the challenge is what led him to open Moss Heart Books.
“I started the bookstore because the Scholastic Book Fair entered my bloodstream in first grade and I knew I was dedicated to books forever,” he says.
When it came to finding the right partner for the Summer Reading Challenge, York points to his passion for books.
“Austin has a really big passion for books,” she says. “He writes out little descriptions of who the book is for and all that stuff. I really wanted to find a way to support that in a small business.”
Partnerships with local businesses have helped bring attention to Fort Wayne Social Club and led to the launch of several successful events. That attention helps to continue creating a more friendly and supportive community for transplants within Fort Wayne.
“I am putting down roots here and have a really strong need for community,” York reflects. “This past year was rough, and I didn’t feel like I could go out and do anything.”
Events like the Coffee Crawl and the Summer Reading Challenge have given York a way to find meaningful friendships in a group that helps other people who feel similar to her and moved here for a job, family, or to be with a long-distance partner, feel a little bit better about how they might make this place their home.
![]()
The Fort Wayne Social Club out during Savor Fort Wayne.
“These events make people move past the ‘What high school did you go to?’” she says, adding that Fort Wayne Social Club wants to get past that and allow for stronger connections to form, ones that don’t require people to have been born and raised in Fort Wayne to feel like they belong.
“This group is for everyone,” York says. “However, I have seen a lot of transplants, people reintegrating back into Fort Wayne after moving away for a job or college, and mothers or people who have gone through major life changes really benefiting and appreciating this group.”
In the future, Fort Wayne Social Club plans to continue creating more campaigns that highlight the many businesses and services Fort Wayne has to offer. Whether they repeat successful events like their mixers or Coffee Crawl, or provide new experiences through Dinners with Strangers or a Winter Window Showdown, Fort Wayne Social Club is sure to highlight all the unique experiences that make Fort Wayne a community for everyone.