Our Current Mission: To provide nutritious, portable meals for evacuees, firefighters, and others helping to overcome the destruction of Texas wildfires.  Four lives and over a thousand homes have been lost displacing families and impacting businesses with loss of income.  Much of the piney woods of east Texas are gone.

How You Can Help!

We are accepting donations in any amount for assembling and distributing Blessing Baskets.  The basic food items in our baskets are nutritious Vi-Shape shake meals, Nutra-Cookies, and Nuero energy to mix with bottled water, developed by  ViSalus Sciences.  In addition, some baskets may contain hand-held shaker blenders, almond milk, juice, and bottled water.  Larger baskets with electric blenders are being prepared for those moving into housing away from the community shelters.  Some baskets will go to replenish pantries of local churches in Bastrop and Smithville who were the first to open their doors to receive evacuees.

Why Shake Meals:

Within a few days of the fires erupting in our sister town of Bastrop, we had a team at Celebration Community Church in Bastrop serving shake meals to evacuees, firefighters, soldiers and community volunteers.  The meals were very well received.  One of the nurses reported that a liquid meal providing nutrition was an extremely good idea as so many evacuees could not eat due to the high stress level. Firefighting personnel and soldiers found the shakes to be very refreshing and easy since they were portable.  While in Bastrop, we went buy Rock N Threads, a donation collection location for evacuees needing clothes, etc.  It was during the conversation with Jennifer McCormick, owner, that the idea of Giving Baskets was born.  Here are entire communities, Bastrop & Smithville, in transition moving from evacuees centers into temporary housing while waiting to find out what can be done and how soon they can restore their homes.  When people are in transition and moving it is wonderful when a neighbor brings them a good meal.

 

Individuals, Businesses or other entities wanting to help:

• Make a donation by check payable to MJ Yearian, Inc., mail to 179 Kates Cove, Buda, Tx 78610. In the memo area write Texas Wildfire Donation.  Upon delivery of Giving Baskets in Bastrop and Smithville, a signature is obtained from the person or entity receiving the baskets.  Donation acknowledgement letter is sent  back to you.
• To make a donation by credit card, please call 512.644.7130.  Donations by credit card are followed up with a letter acknowledging the donation.
• Donations are used for:  Visalus Sciences food products, milk, juice, bottled water, blenders, baskets, wrapping paper, donations cards, transportation expenses, and if necessary a blessing contribution to staff for time involved in assembling The Blessing Baskets.
• Donors information is kept private and not shared except with donors instruction to do so.

Visalus Promoters:

• Order products through your distributor number and have them shipped to 179 Kates Cove, Buda, TX 78610.
• Products will arrive with an invoice containing your information; however, please send an alert email to giving@marshayearian.com . (copy & paste email – not a live link)
• The Blessing Basket assembled with your product donation may include a donation card with contact information.  Please email this information.
• There may be additional supplies necessary to assemble your basket.  Depending upon your basket selection, you will need to mail a check payment to MJ Yearian, Inc, payable to same, mail to 179 Kates Cove, Buda, Tx 78610.  The amount needed will be sent in an email and is dependent upon the extra items selected to be added to your basket, wrapping items and delivery charge.
• Or you may assemble the basket and deliver to 179 Kates Cove, Buda, TX 78610.  There is a delivery charge of $5.00 by MJ Yearian, Inc. for taking the basket to distribution points.

Going Forward:

We are in the process of obtaining approval by Visalus Giving for direct contributions of shake meals into the Bastrop, Smithville areas.  Once this is in place, all contributors will be notified of the additional way to help.

We are also in the process of obtaining corporate approval from HEB for contributions of ingredient products for making our shakes.  This assistance will extend out our ability to have more meals.

In Bastrop, we witnessed community coming together to help community.  Although, it was a very sad time; it was also a miracle time of seeing how hearts can be opened and borders crossed when we come together for a common goal of helping another.

We thank you for your time and consideration of the Giving Baskets.

If you have any questions or any ideas on how to help, please contact me.

Marsha Yearian
512.644.7130
giving@marshayearian.com

Mail:  179 Kates Cove, Buda, TX  78610

MJ Yearian, Inc. is a for profit corporation, EIN# 27-3191242
All donations will be documented
Please check with your financial advisor on tax donation status of any donation made

Applying for a 501c non-profit corporation for The Blessing Basket

Be Blessed!