Empowering our nation’s heroes to continue service through beekeeping.
STORY AND PHOTOS BY TRACY DOWNEY
At 913 East Oak Street in Houston, a little white house sits sheltered between two gated townhouse communities. This is the headquarters of Hives for Heroes, a 501 (c) 3 non-profit. The narrow front door opens to a mighty-sized network stocked with $250 cases of Texas Tallow and Wildflower Honey harvested by veterans. What once began as a party of twelve has now grown into 9,000 members across 32 states. Hives is on a mission to save honeybees from extinction, increase the national food supply, and prevent suicide by giving veterans and first responders a continued purpose to serve…and a sweet life. Postcards sat down with four members of Hives for Heroes (including one from New Waverly!) to discuss the buzz surrounding their growing notoriety.
Diagnosed with MS for fifteen years, Bussman is a retired U.S. Navy veteran and a former stockbroker. He slowly hand-cranks the label machine, gently attaching the white “Heroes for Honey” label to each $20 amber-colored bottle.
How long have you been affiliated with Hives for Heroes?
About a year and a half. My wife sent me an article from a magazine and said, “Why not try this?” So, I came down one day, and I’ve been coming ever since.
Tell us about your first time in the bee yard.
I didn’t check all my zippers. <laughs> I went home, took a shower, and my wife and daughter picked fifty stingers out of my head. But it’s been a lot of fun and educational. I learn something new every day.
How has Hives for Heroes transformed your life?
When I showed up here, it was like coming home. I’ve heard about men without this built-in group. They’re lost, and I feel bad for them. This organization allows you to have a purpose.
A retired, soft-spoken U.S. Army Sergeant, Glenn served in the Gulf War and is a resident of Houston’s Fifth Ward. He points to the slogan on his white T-shirt: ‘21 healthy benefits of raw honey.’ After his mother passed in 2011, Glenn began his journey in community farming. Then in 2020, COVID-19 hit, and his master gardener passed away. Soon after, Glenn’s son met Jimenez, and they eventually met up. Glenn, a corporate beekeeper, gives back to his community through networking with Hives for Heroes honey and assisting his aunt in distributing food to the Fifth Ward.
Talk about your purpose with Hives.
One morning, I was going to work and asked God to feed abused and oppressed, financially poor people of the world. A voice that sounded like the one in the movie The Blues Brothers told me, “YOU do it.” God promoted me from the dirt to the water to the plain. We did hydroponic gardens inside a forty-foot trailer.
Share your first experience with the bees.
I joined Steve (the founder) at headquarters. He had five hives in the backyard. Troy (who handles IT) was my mentor. Best honey I ever had. I said, “I don’t know tech, but I know how to sell.”
How do you sell the honey?
Word of mouth and my T-shirt. I have a couple of partners that help as well.
The founder of Hives for Heroes, Jimenez is a retired U.S. Marine.
You started Hives for Heroes in Houston. How did you spread the word across the country?
We call ourselves a word-of-mouth network that brings a lot of people with a lot of skillsets together in a singular mission to stop suicide. It’s a peer-to-peer mentorship platform. There are 9,000 members across the country, with 1,700 of those in Texas.
Do you promote events?
On July 5th, we have a bottling event In Houston at the American Legion from 10:00 am – 2:00 pm, and we have a gala in the first part of November.
What is the cost of a start-up?
It doesn’t cost a veteran anything. No shipping, no handling, no anything. We take care of it all at headquarters, and they get a percentage of the sales. Whether it’s getting started or benefits like education, we say, “No excuses.” That’s what we call removing financial barriers and
