A couple of people record a podcast against the back wall.

Comfy chairs surrounding a low table quickly fill up while a quiet card game breaks out at an adjacent table.

Each person enjoys a beverage and snack.

As midday nears, the stack of fresh muffins and brownies dwindles and sandwiches start rolling out of the kitchen.

A pleasant buzz fills the Cedar Hill Recreation Centre, one that was missing for a while.

With Victoria Foundation funding, the Second Chance Cafe quietly reopened last month, but clearly it wasn含羞草研究社檛 quiet long.

The room packed with smiles is the greatest reward for head baker Toni King.

含羞草研究社淚t gives me chills just thinking about it, sharing what I含羞草研究社檓 feeling inside with other people,含羞草研究社� she said.

King is clearly all about sharing laughter, even on serious subjects she sees the lighter side 含羞草研究社� and she含羞草研究社檚 seen some serious stuff.

In 2015 King woke with 含羞草研究社渢he worst headache ever.含羞草研究社� It turned out to be a brain stem aneurysm that robbed her of four months of her life 含羞草研究社� among other things. She doesn含羞草研究社檛 remember it, but had actually called 911 herself.

After an emergency flight to Vancouver and several surgeries, King returned to Victoria General Hospital for a few months before waking.

Time was just one thing the injury took.

含羞草研究社淚 actually became a statistic,含羞草研究社� King said. She could no longer work as an operating room technician, and ended up separated from her wife 含羞草研究社� winding up alone in a new place.

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Then someone from Brain Injury Services at The Cridge Centre for the Family came along.

含羞草研究社淭hey含羞草研究社檝e given all the support I needed to get back on my feet. It has been life-changing for me. I could just be sitting on the couch withering away to nothing,含羞草研究社� King said. 含羞草研究社淎s soon as I got into the Cridge program it gave me direction and purpose and here I am living every minute of it.含羞草研究社�

Among the support was a cooking course that spurred her latest career 含羞草研究社� with baking at the cafe just her most recent role. Feeding people makes her happy.

Geoff Sing, manager of brain injury programs for the Cridge, boasts the cafe has the best baked goods and wonderful social setting. The program assists about 80 brain injury survivors across Greater Victoria, he said.

含羞草研究社淥ur role is working ourselves out of a job,含羞草研究社� said Sing, also a survivor. 含羞草研究社淚f we invest in survivors early we含羞草研究社檙e going to have better outcomes.含羞草研究社�

In a partnership between the District of Saanich and The Cridge Centre for the Family, The Second Chance Cafe is fully led and staffed by survivors of brain injury.

Statistics show survivors of brain injury are more likely to experience homelessness, poverty and addiction, so programs providing job training, employment, and fulfillment are crucial.

The cafe offers an opportunity to retrain and develop skills, explained employer development coordinator Bryan Rowley.

含羞草研究社淭he idea is that they含羞草研究社檙e moving along a spectrum from a place of not working, to a place of starting out here getting their juices flowing, getting their work muscles flexed and then moving on to other things. That含羞草研究社檚 the end goal,含羞草研究社� Rowley said.

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Having the business at a municipally-owned community centre also opens the wider community to opportunities for engagement, interaction and understanding.

Opening an eatery 含羞草研究社� and creating a partnership between district and non-profit 含羞草研究社� involves some heavy lifting. Knowing the potential kept Sing and Saanich含羞草研究社檚 Deanna Roch on the task developing hours, menus and roles.

含羞草研究社淭hey含羞草研究社檙e putting people back into the community that are survivors of brain injury. Their life is literally turned upside down. I sit there as a human being and couldn含羞草研究社檛 even imagine. But I also sit there as a mother and that was the piece for me for some of the stories,含羞草研究社� said Roch, privy to some of the stories shared through the course of developing the cafe. 含羞草研究社淪ometimes you含羞草研究社檙e in the wrong place at the wrong time that含羞草研究社檚 all it is, and you have a life-changing experience. 含羞草研究社� This gives people the opportunity to be a part of something and contributing to society含羞草研究社�

A 19-year Saanich employee, Roch took a posting at the Cedar Hill centre almost exactly a year ago. Immediately her goal was to return foods service to the centre, but how it might be done differently.

含羞草研究社淚 have programmed preschool, I含羞草研究社檝e run swimming pools, weight rooms, you name it. But I have never operated a kitchen,含羞草研究社� said Roch, who did lean a little on her husband, a chef in his previous career.

The endeavour was worth the extra effort. Raised in a family where sitting down for dinner was mandatory 含羞草研究社� the community centre connection appeared evident.

含羞草研究社淚n the community everybody has to eat, you sit down and break bread, it含羞草研究社檚 the heart of the community. To me, the recreation centres are the heart of the community 含羞草研究社� we含羞草研究社檙e able to nurture it in a different way,含羞草研究社� she said.

The shared vision is coming to fruition.

Instead of popping in and running off again, or a hurried conversation in a parking lot, folks are following class with a visit. Others are planning it. And while patrons are learning a bit about the brain injury survivors, programs and the Cridge Centre, they含羞草研究社檙e also finding themselves.

For example, Roch recently ran into a woman snapping a picture of the menu.

Naturally, she naturally engaged the woman in conversation and learned she was rushing off to get her aging husband to his appointments. Inspired by the cafe to take the time to 含羞草研究社渟it with the girls,含羞草研究社� the woman had snapped the photo as a reminder to start scheduling in time for herself.

含羞草研究社淪he含羞草研究社檚 really lucky that she does have that community around her,含羞草研究社� Roch said.

Sounds like the kind of story that might give the head baker the shivers.

The grand opening of the Second Chance Cafe at Cedar Hill Recreation Centre is Dec. 1 at 10 a.m.

Learn more about the Cridge Brain Injury Services at cridge.org.