Shared activity gives connection a starting point.
A build, a game, or an adventure gives people something to do together. Helping one another and solving small problems can make conversation easier and create opportunities for trust.
Our theory of change
Shared experiences.
Meaningful connection.
A place to belong.
When people can return to a welcoming community, choose how they participate, and contribute to something shared, we believe friendships, belonging, and a sense of purpose can grow. This is how Second Haven makes a difference.
Why this matters
Community needs to fit real lives.
Chronic illness, disability, neurodivergence, anxiety, caregiving, stigma, and distance can make ordinary social spaces difficult to access. Rigid schedules, fluctuating energy, and pressure to keep up with conversation can put connection further out of reach.
Second Haven welcomes people across ages and backgrounds. Our approach makes room for quiet company, creative expression, and shared activity, with choices about pace and communication. People can be known for their interests and contributions, and choose what personal experiences they share.
From resources to experiences
Create space. Gather. Build community.
Our model starts with the people and spaces that make repeated, meaningful participation possible.
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1 · Inputs
A foundation for connection
Persistent Minecraft worlds, a companion Discord community, moderators, volunteers, creative builders, and clear community norms.
Time, funding, technical upkeep, and member input help sustain that foundation.
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2 · Activities
Reasons to spend time together
Weekly meetups, monthly events, seasonal festivals, collaborative builds, and everyday play.
Guided group quests are in development, adding shared stories, puzzles, and cooperative challenges.
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3 · Outputs
Opportunities for friendship
Gatherings held, opportunities to join and return, shared projects created, and member contributions supported.
These describe what we provide and who takes part. Participant experiences tell us what changes.
How change happens
Small experiences can add up.
Minecraft gives our community a place to meet, create, and return without increasing exhaustion or added stress.
Choice supports a sense of agency.
Choosing a role, communicating through text or play, and taking breaks can make participation more manageable. Members can shape their experience around their interests, comfort, and energy.
Contributions make purpose visible.
A garden, a helpful sign, a welcoming gesture, or an event someone hosts leaves a mark on community life. Seeing others use and appreciate a contribution can help people feel capable, valued, and needed.
Continuity gives relationships time to grow.
Familiar faces, recurring gatherings, and shared places give people reasons to return. The community continues between events, allowing friendships and mutual support to develop over time.
The difference we hope to make
Connection, belonging, and purpose.
These are intended outcomes to explore through evaluation. Experiences will vary, and change may be gradual or uneven.
Early experiences
Feeling welcome, finding a comfortable way to participate, recognizing familiar people, and gaining confidence to ask for help or offer an idea.
With repeated participation
Meaningful, supportive relationships; feeling accepted, valued, and included; and a stronger sense of choice and purpose through contributing.
Our longer-term aim
Lasting friendships, less loneliness and isolation, and a durable sense of belonging. We hope these relationships also support confidence and participation in the wider lives people choose.
What the model depends on
A welcome people can trust and use.
Practical access. People need a suitable device, internet access, Minecraft access, and help getting started when needed. Cost, technology, time zones, and game familiarity can still create barriers.
Care and choice. Respectful moderation, clear boundaries, voluntary participation, and room for different communication styles matter. Members need ways to raise concerns and help improve the experience.
A sustainable community. The model depends on reliable spaces and enough volunteer and facilitator capacity to support recurring activities. Flexible return matters when health or life circumstances interrupt participation.
Our approach to community careListen, learn, and adapt
Measure impact. Act on data.
Our evaluation approach includes qualitative and quantitive measures capturing member experiences, behavioral changes, player choices, and social outcomes.
What we examine
- Access: What helps people join, return, or take a break? What gets in the way?
- Connection: Are members developing meaningful, supportive relationships?
- Belonging: Do members feel accepted, valued, and included?
- Agency and purpose: Can members make choices and contribute in ways that matter to them?
- Loneliness: Does each person's felt sense of isolation change over time?
How we use what we learn
Brief optional check-ins, member conversations, and program participation summaries help us understand experiences over time, including barriers to positive outcomes.
We use that feedback to adjust activities, welcoming practices, accessibility, and support. Time online alone cannot tell us whether someone feels connected.
Upcoming formal research will include an appropriate consent process, privacy safeguards, and review.
Help us learn what makes belonging possible.
We welcome partners and evaluators who can help us listen well and refine this model.