Melissa Bees – Pollinating the Earth with Gardens and Hives
Dear Maryam and George:
I stood there raw and unpracticed, with a hat in one hand and a microphone in the other facing a 200 plus crowd of people, asking them for money. One by one they rose from their seats as if on cue and came forward to make an offering; as if the hat I held was a wishing well to cast into in exchange for the fulfillment of a hope or a dream. I received them all, as a flower opens in gracious acceptance of the sun’s blessings.
Sounds like a dream doesn’t it? Well, it wasn’t- and yet it is: for us, the bees and for you. It actually happened last night after our showing of your film ‘Vanishing of the Bees’ at TaborSpace in Portland. After I intimated to the crowd the tremendous investment of heart energy in the crafting of this film and the travails involved, and that you were invited to show it at the United Nations in Belgium for Environmental Day, June 5th and needed help to get there- the participants responded with donations.
Carl Wolfson, the esteemed host of ‘The Morning Show’ at our local progressive radio station 620 KPOJ (who I learned, in my interview yesterday morning, is desirous of becoming the next Bee Master) circled round to add to the pot as well as a handful of bee professionals and hobbyists and a whole lot of people who want to become beekeepers, including a girl named Georgia who wants to keep bees at her school, thanks to your beautiful film.
A check is in the mail to you for $250 along with a 50 Euro bill that a man gave to the beekeeper’s veil that served as my busking hat. He must have known you’d need some cash on hand when you got to Europe. 
Many blessing on your travels, our hearts are with you!
From Portland,
Melissa