Connecting the Links

Eric and Jillian Maitlen spent more than 10 years touring the country and the world with Two Eight ministries. However, in 2017 the team decided to take their efforts in a new direction. They built the "Our Story. Our Time. Tour" as a response to the devastating opioid epidemic that is claiming the lives of over 100 Americans every day. According to a report form the CDC*, drug overdoses are currently the leading cause of unintended injury death in the United States, and Eric and Jillian are dedicated to changing that statistic. 
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The couples' passion for their work is evident in everything they do: they work to empower individuals and communities to overcome addiction and experience freedom. They are passionate about creating awareness and understanding and reducing the stigma that often comes with the problem of addiction. The mission of their tour is to: 

• Unite and educate communities on the opioid epidemic 
• Break the stigma of addiction that has caused too many individuals and families isolate and hide their struggle (for fear of public shame and ridicule)
• Empower local recovery efforts and foster care services with a large scale platform to educate and mobilize their community to action. 

Photo by: multiply magazine 

This epidemic has affected us all in some way. This is our story and this is our time to take action! - Eric and Jillian 

Brianna's Hope and Jay County Drug Prevention Coalition are proud to sponsor the The 3rd Annual "Connecting the Links" event which will feature the "Our Story. Our Time. Tour." The event's purpose is to help create understanding and awareness around addiction, and to discuss how we as a community can work together to build a better future. The event will be held at the Jay County High School Auditorium on April 28th 2019, and the doors will open at 6:00 PM. Visit our events page to RSVP! ​

*Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, "CDC Reports Rising Rates of Drug Overdose Deaths in Rural Areas," October 19, 2017, https://www.cdc.gov/media/releases/2017/p1019-rural-overdose-deaths.html