You may have noticed it’s been a little quieter than usual on the blog. Thatâs because sometimes the work sings so loud behind the scenes, thereâs no time left to write about it. That’s always true before, during, and after our annual Bee Fest.
We’re still here!
Still opening letters, processing applications, and making connections across the wire.
Now that the whirlwind has settled, we’re working on getting back into a regular posting rhythm, starting with this little note to say: thank you for sticking around.
đ Coming up this week:
The next chapter in the Kurtis & Joe series. If you need to catch up, start here.
A special post about something Leah and I did last Sunday that’s a perfect metaphor for whatâs possible when we move in harmony.
If you’ve ever fallen out of your routine and then had to find your way back, you know how hard it can be to restart.
𫶠Weâd love to hear: Scroll alllll the way down to the comments and let us know:
How do you get back in the groove after a busy stretch or a hard pause? What pulls you back to your purpose?
đŹ Subscribe to our Blog & Newsletter âď¸Take the Quiz â How much do you know about U.S. prisons? đ Donate Stamps â Help us send more love inside â¤Give â Fuel the mission
We’re doing a quick roll call to help us stay organized and updated. if you’re a current or past Adopt an Inmate volunteer, you should have received an email with a link to a short Volunteer Check-In Form.
đ Didnât see the email? Search your inbox (or spam folder) for:
Subject: Quick Check-In: Still With Us?
Sender: volunteer@adoptaninmate.org
đ New to all this? We just published a Volunteer FAQ with answers to the most common questions, including what types of roles we have, how to get started, and what the bee theme is all about.
Have a question we didnât answer? Let us know, weâre always improving.
Find a cool breeze and let the world slow down for a minute. Hereâs your Sunday read.
What Still Matters, and Whoâs Still Here
Hi friends,
This week, weâre leaning into consistency and community.
We published a new Volunteer FAQÂ and a sent a quick check-in form to all our helpers, because our hive only works when we can find each other.Read about that here.
Itâs a quietly powerful reflection about what inspired Rick to want to start Adopt an Inmate. Sadly, the kinds of stories Rick witnessed inside are still happening every day.
Thatâs why weâre asking for your voice.
As part of our Drop a Dime on Injustice campaign, weâre collecting real stories from those directly impacted by incarceration. You can respond to three simple prompts in our Good, Bad, Change form, or go deeper and share your experience in your own words through our Share Your Story form.
đ Birthday Alert: Kurtis!
Monday, July 28, (tomorrow!) is Kurtisâs birthday!
Kurtis is one of the most thoughtful and generous souls weâve ever met behind the walls. If you’ve read the ongoing Kurtis & Joe series, you know. If you haven’t, start here. Letâs send a little of that love back his way.
You can reply to this email with your message, or use our Contact Form and weâll make sure he gets it.
 Want to honor him in a meaningful way? This is the perfect time to purchase his book, Poems From Within, for yourself, or to send to someone inside who would be uplifted by his words.
We need your input. Your insights. Your heartbreak. Your ideas.
It all still matters.
Thanks for being part of this work. YOU matter.
In solidarity, The Adopt an Inmate Team đ Truth. Connection. Resistance.
Quote of the Week:
What matters in this life is more than winning for ourselves. What really matters is helping others win too. Even if it means slowing down and changing our course now and then.
Fred Rogers
Visit our Linktree to find everything weâre sharing, watching, posting, and building.
We first shared this letter from Rick in 2017, titled What Really Matters, when he was still inside. The good news: he came home about two years later. The bad news: the stories that broke his heart then still flood in today.
Thatâs why we launched our campaign, Drop a Dime on Injustice. We need your voices, not just to raise awareness, but to demand better. If youâve experienced the prison system yourself (or someone you love has), we invite you to share your story. Your voice matters, and it could be the one that opens someoneâs eyes.
You can submit two ways (we welcome both):
1. Good, Bad, Change
Three simple but powerful prompts:
The Good: Whatâs one positive thing youâve seen or experienced in prison?
The Bad: Whatâs one negative thing youâve seen or experienced in prison?
The Change: If you could change one thing about prison, what would it be?
This format is quick, accessible, and great for lifting up many voices at once.
Adopt an Inmate
*Good Bad Change*
PO Box 1543
Veneta, OR 97487
2. Full Story
For those who want to share more deeply, this format lets you write your full story in your own words. It can be long or short, focused or wide-ranging, whatever you need it to be.
Weâre especially interested in the larger picture. What were the barriers that made it harder to thrive: poverty, lack of access to housing, education, mental health care, or support systems. What systems failed you before the legal system ever got involved?
You can also respond to these general prompts:
What do you wish the public knew about incarceration?
What has surprised you most about the prison system?
Your voice is your power. We know thereâs a heavy stigma around incarceration, and real fear of retaliation for speaking up. If you want your story to remain anonymous, just let us know in your submission. We will always respect your privacy.
From the Hive: A Tiny Bee Fest, a Tiny Surprise, and Some Poems You Need to Read
Hi Friends,
I’m sending this a little later than usual, writing from the final full day of Bee Fest, our annual summer volunteer retreat. This oneâs the tiniest yet (well, aside from the very first few, when it was just Leah and me). This year itâs just Leah, Liz, and me, with a special appearance or two by our volunteer Scott, Eugene local mail-processing ninja, who drops in to share lunch and take out the trash (thank you Scott!). But hey, what we lack in numbers, we make up for in meaning.
This week was all about preparing, hosting, and soaking in the energy of doing the work together. A few highlights:
We kicked things off with side-by-side pedicures, which Iâve now declared our official Bee Fest initiation ritual.
Someday we’ll be able to afford to have these things catered, but until then, cooking for these working events is my love language. (And my secret strategy is to serve everything just late enough that by the time it hits the table, they’re so hungry it tastes like a Michelin-starred meal. Hunger is the best seasoning.)
       Â
Our sassy Director of Wellness and Spontaneous Joy (Liz) declared a mandatory leg stretch and herded us out the door for a much-needed evening walk to the 5th Street Public Market in Eugene, and then (as if she hadnât already earned sainthood) bought us ice cream.
I had to dash home mid-retreat to grab my iMac because the borrowed fossil laptop I was using was like typing underwater with mittens. And yes⌠I forgot the power cord. So, back I went. đ¤Śđźââď¸
And the best surprise of all:Â Liz is expecting baby #3! Last year she came with her 3-month-old little bundle of sweetness. This year, sheâs carrying the next little bee.
One moment I want to share especially:
While processing mail together, Leah opened a piece of writing from Dortell Williams, an incarcerated writer in California that stopped us cold. His transformation is a reminder of whatâs possible, and why this work matters.
We also want to pause and honor the life of Andrea Gibson, who passed away last week, which has had me in my feels. If youâve followed us for a while, you’re familiar with Kurtis & Joe. Kurtis (in Illinois) is also a published poet (you can find his book Poems From Within, along with a dozen or so sudoku books on Amazon). I had sent a couple of her books to him since he started writing us, and had to break the news when we spoke just before Bee Fest.
âThe kindest thing I ever did
was to decide to never think this thought: As soon as the cancer goes away, Iâll start my life.
This is my life.â
Iâve done that a LOT in my life.
“As soon as my brother gets out.”
“As soon as my husband gets out.” (Spoiler: That chapter closed differently than Iâd hoped.)
“As soon as this organization gets funded…”
Itâs a trap that keeps us in waiting rooms.
Thanks for the reminder, Andrea.
Then there’s this line: âDying is the opposite of leaving.â
This is your Bee Sides invitation to go down the rabbit hole. Search Andrea Gibson. Because Iâm not linking everything.
Look up that line up there in bold ^^. Youâll find a video of Andrea, reading a poem outside under a tree.
Find it. Watch it. Cry. Repeat.
To wrap up this Bee Fest Edition, just a reminder that studies consistently show volunteering can reduce stress, improve mood, and even lower blood pressure, all while building community and purpose.
If you need a little motivation or a reason to start your own Bee Fest someday – go ahead and Google something like “power of volunteering for health.” Youâll find studies, personal stories, and lots of inspiration.
Thank you for being here. Back in the Roffice Tuesday, after the buzz settles.
With gratitude,
Melissa & the Adopt an Inmate team
Quote of the Week:
Without volunteers, we’d be a nation without a soul –Â Rosalyn Carter
During our 2025 Volunteer Bee Fest weekend, Leah opened a piece of writing from Dortell Williams, an incarcerated writer in California. His words, his transformation is a reminder of whatâs possible, and why this work matters.
Your Sunday Read July 13, 2025 | from Adopt an Inmate
Notes From the Roffice We didnât publish any new blog posts this week, but not because thereâs nothing to say. The short version: we’re still dealing with multiple leaks that had gone undetected until it turned into a major fiasco, and while the mitigation phase is almost done, the rebuild is yet to begin. Itâs been a steady process, loud and messy, but progress is happening, and the workers are so knowledgeable, making the process as painless as possible.Â
Thereâs a saying that two moves equal one house fire in terms of how much stuff you lose. Water damage is maybe somewhere in between, but it has a similar effect: it forces you to ask whatâs worth replacing. Weâre looking at each item and asking: Does this deserve my time, my space, my energy? And in many cases, the answer is no. Thereâs some peace in that. Lightening the load is painful, but satisfying. And you don’t have to have a fire or a leak to do it.
Bee Fest Is Coming
Every summer, we host a small in-person gathering for our closest volunteers â what we fondly call our Bee Fest. This yearâs will be our smallest yet, and intentionally so: just the three of us (Leah, Liz, and myself), with a possible visit from a new volunteer whoâll be helping with the blog.
These are working weekends, full of focused time for tasks that keep our mission moving. But theyâre also a rare and cherished chance to sit down together, share meals, laugh, and remember why we do this work.
Life has been full for all of us with big projects, new beginnings, and the emotional weight of the news cycle. Like many of you, weâve been feeling the heaviness of the world, and weâre grateful for this pocket of time to reconnect and recenter. Weâre so lucky to have each other, and this time to say thank you, face to face.
We cover Bee Fest expenses out of pocket, so even a small donation goes a long way. Your support helps with our weekend rental, meals, and materials that make this weekend such a critical part of our year.Every gift helps us get more done, together.
Letters From Prison: Kurtis & Joe (Part 4 Coming Soon) Weâve already shared a few early posts from Kurtis. Soon, weâll begin sharing letters from Joe too. I recently asked Joe to share more of his story, especially the time between losing his wife and the events that landed him in prison.Â
Joeâs response has been worth waiting for. I already knew he was kind and decent. What I didnât know was how remarkably brave he is. You’re going to love this. Thatâs all Iâll say for now.
Protect Each Other. Report Injustice.
As immigration raids and detentions ramp up across the country, weâre sharing resources this week that help communities: know your rights, document violations, and protect your neighbors.
Mobilize USA: Events, Petitions, and Volunteer Opportunities
ICE Immigration Alerts:Â (Google Play):allows you to report raids or potentially illegal immigration searches. You can register for alerts in your area to find out when you should be concerned, or go to the location to stage a peaceful protest.
MigraCam: (Apple) Designed to help people living in border communities notify their family members and friends of their encounters with law enforcement and immigration officials. MigraCam records incidents and streams them live to a list of pre-determined emergency contacts with a customized message.
ILRC Red Cards:Â Print and carry cards to assert your rights during encounters.
Make a Preparedness Plan:Â Instructions on what to do with your preparedness plan, and instructions to download signal, and make a group with your emergency contact (i.e. the people who have your preparedness packet)
As Always Thank you for reading, sharing, and showing up. If youâve been with us a long time, you know this work is personal, messy, beautiful, and vital. And we canât do it without each other.
đ With gratitude, Melissa + the Adopt an Inmate team
Quote of the Week:
“Preservation of oneâs own culture does not require contempt or disrespect for other cultures.” – CĂŠsar ChĂĄvez
OurLinktree is live! One easy place to find everything weâre sharing, watching, posting, and building.
âď¸Take the Quiz â How much do you know about U.S. prisons?
đŁď¸Add Your Voice â Submit your responses to our Good, Bad, Change poll
This email goes out once a week on Sundays to recap what we published during the week (Monday â Saturday). Whether we posted one, or a dozen, Itâs your quick way to stay in the loop without getting overwhelmed.
Weâre now posting each edition here on the blog as well, so no one misses out.
Prefer to get it by email? Subscribe on the right. We donât send notifications for every post, just one weekly digest.
A Note From the Roffice
Yes, I said roffice. If youâve ever imagined a buzzing office full of Adopt an Inmate staffers hard at work, brace yourself. The truth is less âopen-concept workspaceâ and more âone overheated bee in a makeshift office.â Thatâs right, roffice = bedroom + office. This week, itâs been less âcreative sanctuaryâ and more âdisaster zone.â
Last week, I told you weâd discovered water damage and needed a new roof. Well, buckle up they said, things escalated. There are now spaceship-like plastic enclosures sealed with zipper doors, marked âDO NOT ENTERâ (we’re obeying). Workers in hazmat suits have been removing drywall and flooring and cabinets while very loud âair scrubbersâ pump out constant heat just in time for the arrival of real summer. And did I mention we still donât have a kitchen sink, laundry room, or working ice maker?
Q:Â Does homeowner’s insurance cover any of this? Short answer: Yes. Long answer: No.
Yes! Unless the water came from the sky, the pipes, the ground, the roof, or any part of your actual home. In that case, no. Duh.
Your insurance company will thoughtfully explain why none of those count. Oh theyâll sympathize with your situation, and then remind you that itâs your fault for not anticipating waterâs behavior, and also that your deductible is $5,000 and your claim is now closed.
Displacement coverage? Haha, good one.
Food reimbursement? Absolutely! Just keep your receipts. For food you normally eat, food you wouldnât normally eat, in an amount you canât guess, from a meal you didnât want.
Stay tuned for next weekâs Fact-Check Friday, where we may tackle something equally uplifting like whether mail bans in prisons are about security or sadism.
Despite all that, here’s what we managed to share:
Civics 101: Independence Day Edition – On a day when fireworks fly in the name of freedom, we shared our Immigration Status Comparison Table to clarifyâŻwho is actually here legally, whoâs (normally) at risk for deportation, and what all those U.S. immigration categories really mean.
We want to hear from you! Whether itâs a response to one of the weekâs posts, your own immigration or advocacy story, or a tale of homeownerâs insurance chaos. Drop a comment and let us know weâre not alone out here. Also: What do you call your home office?
Note: Scroll alllll the way down (yes, past the âYou May Also Likeâ goodies) to find the comment box. Itâs there, we promise.
With love and gratitude, The Adopt an Inmate Team Truth. Connection. Resistance.
This piece came to us from Johnny in Florida. Like many artists behind bars, Johnny uses his creativity to process life, express what words canât, and stay connected to the world outside. Every detail speaks to the heart about what it feels like to be disconnected from the outside world.
Art like this reminds us: Beauty thrives even under the harshest conditions.
We accept submissions by mail or email from incarcerated artists or their outside supporters.
Email: submit@adoptaninmate.org
Snail mail:
Adopt an Inmate
Art Campaign
PO Box 1543
Veneta, OR 97487
 Want to honor him in a meaningful way? This is the perfect time to purchase his book, 
In solidarity,
        
Image by Beverly Buckley on Pixabay
 
