BEYOND THE COUCH
sense of belonging “ Agoes a long way in
helping a person learn to cope with difficulties and become more resilient.
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A Second Chance at Belonging WWW.HER2NDCHANCE.ORG BY JULIE KHANNA @KHANNACONNECTIONS @HER2NDCHANCE
D
o you know how you can feel like a stranger in a room full of familiar faces? If so, you also know how powerful it is to feel accepted, connected, validated, and understood. A January 2021 article in Forbes, “Missing Your People: Why Belonging Is So Important And How To Create It,” featured beluga whale research by Florida Atlantic University scientists that noted how our human need for belonging mirrors the complex social relationships of closely, distantly, and even unrelated whales. A 2020 Massachusetts Institute of Technology study indicated that acute isolation causes social craving, similar to how fasting causes hunger. And a 1999 University of Michigan School of Nursing study found that a low sense of belonging is a stronger predictor of depression than social support and getting connected is paramount in depressive recovery.
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THE WELL OF PBC / DEC ISSUE 2021
The Second Chance Initiative, a non-profit social enterprise located in Boca Raton, Florida, knows a sense of belonging goes a long way in helping a person learn to cope with difficulties and become more resilient. They help women in recovery work toward self-sufficiency, gain confidence, and build a brighter future, thereby breaking the cycle that perpetuates relapse. Creating jobs that help women flourish within a healthy culture of sisterhood and belonging is the core mission of Second Chance Initiative. Executive director Lisa Roeberg says almost everyone has needed a second chance at some point in their lives, and the women who participate in their program are no different. “Our mission is to provide jobs that help women in recovery flourish. We believe that work has the power to transform lives, so we named
