• GoodHands International Inc
  • 911 E Shannon Ct
  • Venice, FL 34293

Community & Social Support: Strengthening Connections for a Better Future


Strong community and social support systems are essential for personal and collective well-being. This section offers resources, programs, and practical information to enhance social engagement, access assistance, and build lasting connections. Discover ways to find support and play a role in creating a more inclusive and supportive society.

Understanding Social Terms
✅ Altruism: Selfless concern for the well-being of others, often leading to acts of kindness or charity.
✅ Advocacy: The act of supporting or arguing for a cause, policy, or group, often through awareness campaigns, legal efforts, or community initiatives.
✅ Bias: A tendency to favor certain ideas, individuals, or groups, often in a way that’s unfair or unbalanced, affecting decision-making and perceptions.
✅ Civic Engagement: Active participation in activities that promote the welfare or governance of a community, such as voting, volunteering, or joining advocacy efforts.
✅ Community Development: The process of improving social, economic, and environmental conditions within a community through collaboration and innovation.
✅ Cultural Competence: The ability to understand, communicate with, and effectively interact with people across different cultures, fostering respect and inclusion.
✅ Disenfranchisement: The act of depriving individuals or groups of rights, particularly the right to vote or participate in civic activities.
✅ Ethics: Principles that govern behavior, determining what is morally right or wrong in personal, professional, and social contexts.
✅ Food Insecurity: Limited access to enough nutritious food for an active, healthy life, often due to financial, geographic, or systemic barriers.
✅ Gentrification: The process of urban development that leads to the displacement of lower-income residents as property values and rent increase.
✅ Hate Speech: Language that attacks, threatens, or discriminates against a person or group based on characteristics like race, religion, gender, or sexual orientation.
✅ Human Rights: The basic rights and freedoms that belong to every person, regardless of nationality, ethnicity, gender, or other status.
✅ Intersectionality: The overlapping and interconnected nature of social categorizations, such as race, gender, and class, and how they create discrimination or privilege.
✅ Marginalization: The process of pushing individuals or groups to the edges of society, denying them access to resources, opportunities, and decision-making power.
✅ Microaggressions: Subtle, often unintentional, actions or remarks that reinforce stereotypes or discrimination against marginalized groups.
✅ Mutual Aid: A voluntary exchange of resources and services among people or organizations to support each other, particularly in times of crisis.
✅ Nonprofit Organization (NGO): An entity that operates for social, cultural, or humanitarian purposes rather than for profit, often focused on advocacy, education, or relief work.
✅ Oppression: The systemic and prolonged mistreatment of certain groups by those in power, leading to inequality and limited access to resources.
✅ Public Policy: A system of laws, regulations, and actions adopted by governments to address societal issues, such as healthcare, education, and housing.
✅ Recidivism: The tendency of a previously incarcerated individual to reoffend and return to prison, often due to systemic barriers to reintegration.
✅ Refugee: A person forced to flee their country due to war, persecution, or natural disasters, seeking safety in another nation.
✅ Resilience: The ability of individuals or communities to recover from adversity, challenges, or crises and continue to thrive.
✅ Safe Spaces: Environments designed to be free from discrimination, judgment, or harm, allowing marginalized individuals to express themselves freely.
✅ Shelter Services: Temporary housing and support provided to individuals or families experiencing homelessness, domestic violence, or other crises.
✅ Social Capital: The networks, relationships, and trust among people that enable communities to function effectively and support each other.
✅ Social Determinants of Health: The conditions in which people are born, grow, live, work, and age that affect overall health and quality of life.
✅ Social Mobility: The ability of individuals or families to improve their economic and social status, often measured by access to education, employment, and financial stability.
✅ Trauma-Informed Care: An approach to healthcare and social services that acknowledges the impact of past trauma and seeks to provide supportive, healing-centered interactions.
✅ Universal Basic Income (UBI): A policy concept that proposes providing all citizens with a regular, unconditional sum of money to cover basic needs and reduce poverty.
✅ Volunteerism: The act of offering time, skills, or resources to benefit a community, cause, or organization without financial compensation.