A simple mistake. A fortuitous meeting.

Robert says he figured out very quickly that he couldn’t sing or play the piano. So his mom had him memorize poems for the family talent show at Christmas. He still remembers some of them to this day. He stopped by and recited one of his favorites. We bet you won’t have a dry eye.

Robert became a member at Maybelle Center in the best way. One of our volunteers, Barbara, knocked on the wrong door and Robert opened the door. She could tell immediately that he was looking for someone to talk to. He’s been part of our community ever since. Barbara – you can knock on the wrong door any day! We are so privileged to be part of Robert’s life.

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.