If you’ve followed us for even a little while, you’ve probably noticed: we talk a lot about bees.

From our Bee Team and Bee Fest, to Bee Sides, and taglines like ‘🐝 a lifeline,’ we wear our love for bee metaphors proudly. But it’s not just cute branding.

Bee is derived from the Old English bēn meaning “a prayer, a favor.” It was first coined in the late 18th century, referring to “a meeting of neighbors to unite their labors for the benefit of one of their number,” much like little worker bees in a hive.

The earliest known example in print is a spinning bee, in 1769. Other early occurrences are husking bee (1816), apple bee (1827), and logging bee (1836).

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Farmers, artisans, and neighbors came together for barn raisings, husking bees, and quilting parties, pooling their skills and resources to accomplish tasks that were beyond the capacity of a single household

These gatherings were a testament to the power of community bonding and the necessity of shared labor in a time of limited resources and geographic mobility. They fostered a unique labor dynamic, where individuals contributed their skills and talents to create something beautiful together, strengthening community bonds and promoting social evolution.

At Adopt an Inmate, we honor and continue this tradition. We foster communal labor and mutual support, providing opportunities to learn, share skills, uplift one another, and witness the transformative power of collective effort.

In our world, a “bee” might look like:

• A mail-processing day with volunteers around the table
• A late-night brainstorm to improve our systems
• A cross-state collaboration to match adopters and PIPs
• A family working together in memory of a loved one

And yes—sometimes it’s just dancing like goofballs while stuffing envelopes. 🐝💃

Stay tuned for Part II of this story, in the next post.

(Shout out to Sewing Trip for the history lesson.)

*See a video here, of a group of female worker Bees 🐝 rushed to the aid of a single bee to free her after being trapped in a spiderweb.

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