Happy Sunday, Friends 🐝,
Find yourself a cozy spot and settle in. This week’s Sunday Read brings together stories of memory, transformation, connection, and the many ways people continue to make an impact from inside prison walls.
Before you begin: Our 10th Annual Volunteer Weekend is just two weeks away, and we need help covering meals, supplies, and volunteer appreciation gifts. Please consider making a donation to our Bee Fest 2026 campaign or sharing it with someone who may be able to help.
The past few weeks have brought stories of memory, transformation, addiction, connection, and the lasting importance of simply letting someone know: you have not been forgotten.
They have also brought unexpected challenges close to home. Our Director of Volunteer Operations, Leah, is recovering from a serious leg injury and surgery. Even from bed, she joined our recent board meeting and continues to stay connected to the work as she heals. We are incredibly grateful for her – and very aware of how much she carries for Adopt an Inmate.
As we support Leah through her recovery, we are also preparing for our Annual Volunteer Weekend, August 7–10. This cornerstone event brings people together to help us reach, support, and connect more people impacted by incarceration.
Here is what you may have missed on the blog.
Joshua in Washington reflects on the people, places, traditions, contradictions, and painful memories that shaped his life in this moving poem written from inside.
“I Am From” is deeply personal, but its themes are universal: family, place, identity, grief, and the complicated memories we carry with us.
Shared Reading with Adopt an Inmate
A book can become more than a book when two (or more) people read it together.
This post was inspired by Teddy in California, who is reading Theo of Golden by Allen Levi aloud to his cellmate while I follow along with the audiobook outside. That simple experience led us to begin sharing occasional reading recommendations for adopters, adoptees, friends, and family members who want another way to connect.
Books are one of the few gifts that can still cross prison walls – and a shared story can create conversation, comfort, and moments of genuine companionship across distance.
From Incarceration to Impact: Three Books by Dr. Eric Burnham
While serving a life sentence in Oregon, Dr. Eric Burnham earned his PhD and transformed his study, reflection, and lived experience into three books addressing addiction, trauma, emotional intelligence, and healthier relationships.
Eric has contributed writing to our blog for many years and is a longtime friend and colleague of our formerly incarcerated board member, Martin. As Eric approaches a parole hearing this September, we are proud to share the work he has created to help others heal and grow.
Maurice was one of Adopt an Inmate’s earliest adoptees. He died in federal custody four years ago, but a recently rediscovered letter reminded us of the joy he felt when he was matched with an adopter.
His words also reminded us why this work matters. A person’s life is larger than a prison record, and every person deserves to be known and remembered by name.
“Do You Need Help?”: Addiction on the Inside
In this episode of 40 Minutes With 40, founder “Free” and an anonymous guest known as “Black” discuss addiction inside the Virginia Department of Corrections.
Their conversation explores the fentanyl crisis during COVID, the substance known as “Paper,” the reasons drugs remain so compelling inside prison, and the alternatives that could better support recovery.
It is a candid discussion about addiction, environment, pain, and what meaningful help might actually look like.
Our 10th Annual Volunteer Weekend
Our 10th Annual Volunteer Weekend – Bee Fest 2026 – is coming August 7–10. As volunteers prepare to gather for several days of work, connection, and celebration, we are raising funds to help cover meals, supplies, and, if possible, small appreciation gifts.
We have set an achievable goal of $1,000, and every contribution or campaign share will help.
Until next time …
—Melissa 🐝
A question for readers:
Has a book, letter, poem, or conversation ever helped you feel less alone, or changed the way you understood someone else?
Quote of the Week:
Stories can conquer fear, you know. They can make the heart bigger. — Ben Okri
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