Greetings, friends! Welcome back!

The objective for today’s blog entry is to lay the foundation for a safe “home” for our bloggers.

The first step in building a home is laying the foundation. For those of you who are not familiar

with construction, you may be wondering, “What is a foundation?”

A foundation is the part of a home that supports and anchors the rest of the structure to the

ground. A strong foundation allows a home to withstand powerful storms and other inclement

weather.

There are multiple types of foundations, including:

Individual (isolated) footings: used to support loads bearing a single column.

Combined footings: used to support two or more columns that are close together with

overlapping individual footings.

The “home” we are constructing for our bloggers utilizes combined footings. In other words,

the purpose of this “home” is to support a community of people impacted directly or indirectly

by trauma. It serves to bring individuals together to form strong, enduring, and indestructible

bonds. Through these bonds, we can remain grounded, endure challenging storms, and

emerge stronger and more resilient.

Let’s explore how we can collaborate to create a solid foundation.

Today’s discussion questions:

What elements are needed to build a strong foundation?

- Rank the below elements in order of importance (1 most important, 6 least important)

____ Trust

____ Safety

____ Healthy Communication

____ Consistency

____ Loyalty

____ Other

What are some potential “storms” that may challenge our foundation?

- Rank the below stressors in order of how likely they are to occur (1 most likely, 6 least likely)

____ Employment/education

____ Relationships

____ Financial

____ Health

____ Legal

____ Other

Please post your responses in the below comments section. I look forward to connecting with

you!