VIDEO: The Gift of Connection

A middle-age, African-American man with glasses and dark hair caught in the middle of conversation

Co-Directed by Calvin Martinez, Maybelle Center Member

Debuted at Hope in the Heart of Portland on October 2, 2019.

“Every conversation is a gift,” says Calvin Martinez, who co-directed the film.

Special thanks to the Walters Family Foundation for making the video possible!

By Jillianne Bandstra

Jillianne never grew out of the childhood “But, why?” stage. This insatiable curiosity led her to get two masters degrees (Adult Ed. & MBA). Jillianne can’t think of a better way to spend an afternoon than listening to someone’s story and getting a glimpse of the unseen history that we all hold. She believes there is beauty and value in all our stories, even if they’re messy. Outside of her work as our Communications Manager, you’ll find her chasing middle-schoolers in her role as a Youth Director and stepping on Legos left by her two young boys.