Since 2010 we continue to support 12 individually owned abused women/childr
Teaching women/children in individually owned homes how to Begin a New Beautiful Life
OUR STORY
Why was Blooming Butterflies created & Later, partnered with Designer Diva Resale?
The year 2003 changed my life forever. Charles, my only son, was hit head-on and left dying in the middle of the road by a drunk driver who never stopped or even looked back. Charles was life-flighted to the ICU Trauma Unit and hung on for his life for several months.
Charles New Reality
With a contusion on the left side of his brain, nerve damage in the left eye, nine (9) broken ribs, two (2) punctured lungs, laceration of the spleen, eight (8) broken vertebras, all spinous process sheered from the spine, a broken collar bone, brachial plexus injury, four (4) severed nerves on the spinal cord resulting in paralysis of the left side, an inability of moving his left arm, hand, and fingers, and a constant pulling of his spine to the left, my son was left in horrible pain twenty-four hours, seven days a week that still persists to this very day.
The Impact on Our Daily Lives
The financial impact was devastating. We had to sell everything we owned and begged for donations from individuals and organizations we thought could be of some help. Three months after the accident, Charles needed a nerve graph transfer surgery. The doctor promised that after 7 years (when the nerves that were rerouted from the nerve graph transfer surgery grew down to his paralyzed fingertips) he would perform a free muscle transfer surgery. To date, the doctor has not performed the free muscle transfer surgery. We were, and have been, so very disappointed to have waited so long and not receive the surgery promised to Charles.
Charles and I have struggled for years. A few weeks before the accident our car was stolen. Thankfully, blessed with a bicycle that I rode to clean houses, pick up small groceries, and fill Charles prescriptions. We barely had enough to eat but we survived on food vouchers from churches.
Then, a lump of petals….!
Feeling disheartened and overwhelmed by all the obstacles in our lives, I sat on the ground and sobbed uncontrollably. My heart was breaking for all that my son and I were going through, and I felt so all alone. Then, a lump of petals from a vine fell at my feet. I picked up the lump of petals and realized they were attached to each other. I separated the petals and counted three in total. The petals looked just like a butterfly but without legs and antennas. From my research, the lump of petals that fell at my feet that day, is a plant called The Butterfly Vine, Mascagnia macroptera.
At that moment, I believe my life changed for the better! I got up from my state of despair as inspiration gave me a renewed sense of purpose. I had an idea and so I got to work. Once home, I attached a magnet to the plant’s petal using hot glue and applied paint and gloss to my new creation. I put each creation in baggies and on my bicycle, I rode, selling my plant vines to neighbors, grocery stores, beauty shops, from the street corner, and anywhere I felt people might buy my beautiful creation, Painted Petals. This was the only money we had to live on, buy groceries, pay rent, buy prescriptions, and pay utility bills as we had been pushed out and lost in the system..
Charles – 21 Years Later!
Today, Charles is still partially paralyzed. However, we are always seeking effective avenues to ease the constant inability and pain he endures. Charles lives on his own in California and is a qualified Cannabis Compliance Business Consultant. He has helped thousands of young and old with ailments and diseases using different cannabis oils with amazing results. In 2020, we started stem cell injections, and we are hoping for the best.
A Butterfly’s Cycle of Life!
Telling you my son’s story and realizing how our lives transitioned can be compared to the many stages of the Butterfly’s Cycle of Life.
Butterflies look for their host plants, relying on humans and our environment to lay their eggs on their host plants.
The fragile, tiny caterpillar hatches from this tiny egg if a human or our environment does not destroy their host plant. A hatched caterpillar eats its tiny eggshell, again hoping humans or our environment has not destroyed the tiny egg or caterpillar as it hatches.
The caterpillar starts to eat again hoping its food source is not destroyed by pesticides, humans, or our environment. All at the same time having to worry about predators that can kill and destroy them before it becomes a large caterpillar. The caterpillar starts to make a chrysalis using a lot of strength, time still hoping predators, pesticides, humans, and our environment does not kill them. Caterpillars turn to mush inside their chrysalis and then one day it miraculously forms a butterfly in its chrysalis.It hatches making sure its wings do not touch anything so the wings can grow and dry after hours of hanging on its chrysalis shell. When its wings are dry and it feels strong enough to fly, it flutters beautifully away to find nectar plants so it can eat, again relying on humans and our environment for food.
Without the butterflies we will lose our food pollinators
& our food sources.
We Are Similar To Butterflies!
Our cycle of life is like the beautiful, fragile butterfly. We are born and must rely on our parents to want, feed, clothe, clean, love, and keep us from danger and harm. Most families fight over finances, lack of food, clothing, and a place to call home. Some do not have a home (chrysalis) to live in and to be protected from predators, hardships, beatings, drugs, and death. Some children are abused and watch their mothers being abused. If children are blessed to enter adulthood, to become strong, taught how to help others, have good morals, and serve God, then they have all they need to blossom into beautiful adults. They are then ready to flutter off into life to start the cycle all over again, perfecting it better and stronger each time.
Blooming Butterflies, Inc.
Our study and deeper understanding began culminating in a profound perspective of the endangered species - the Monarch Butterfly. We traveled to Mexico to observe the migration reservations and were amazed at the beauty of the beautiful, bright orange and black Monarch butterflies soaring as the sunlight would shine on their colorful wingspans in the morning. The experience left us in awe – we felt like we were standing in Heaven in awe and amazement at God’s resplendent beauty.
The Why!
With a clear focus, in February 2010, we created our nonprofit, Blooming Butterflies. Our Mission is relational - Make a Difference in the life cycle of the Endangered Monarch Butterflies and Endangered Honeybees while Making a Difference in human lives feeling lost, struggling to survive, and in inability to flutter their own wings, just like Charles and Me!
The How!
We partnered with Designer Diva Resale, the largest consignment store in Texas so we could service twelve (12) battered women and children shelters with clothes, shoes, hygiene products, sheets, towels, blankets, coats, food, and much more.
Since 2010 we have helped not only the twelve (12) individually owned battered women and children’s shelters, but we organize monthly garage sales selling good clothing, shoes, coats, and much more that have been donated for $1 and for most of the communities for free. We have helped many organizations fill hundreds of shipping containers of clothing, food, furniture, hygiene products, and so much more. The organization's representatives raise money to ship these containers to their countries such as Haiti, Philippines, Honduras, Puerto Rico, Africa, and Mexico.
March 2020
The pandemic hit our world in March 2020 and at the same time The Designer Diva Resale 20,352-sq. ft. store lease expired. After six (6) years, we had to quickly move to a new location. We had looked for several years at many buildings, properties, and warehouses. Finally, on May 26, 2020, we found the land, building, warehouse, and destination home for our new home. We went through HORRIBLE challenges, lost our savings and retirment funds, all our money and we had to move the store again.
Designer Diva Resale and Blooming Butterflies Enchanted Gardens.
How You Can Help!
While we are undertaking and working hard on our huge project; waiting on our new landlord to complete the preparation of our building and clear the land for our Enchanted Gardens, we need your help to accomplish the goals set before us so we can help so many people in Texas and around the world. Helping us will be your project and accomplishments too. You will be a part of our team creating a destination for people to enjoy and help others.
Would you please consider helping by donating any amount of $1 to $10 million? No amount is too small as any amount will help us achieve the short- and long-term goals set before us. Your donation will have an impact on many communities, states, and countries and will be a huge part of the key to solving the creation that will, without a doubt help many, many people hurting, sad, starting over, needs to learn a new trade/career and just needs friends to comfort them. Teaching them the life cycle of the butterfly and relating it to our own lifecycle.
The Plan
Short-term goal: To raise $250,000 to build the gardens, and greenhouses, buy butterfly weed plants, nectar plants, dirt, mulch, plant nursery, garden nursery, build a migration hut and a gift shop. There are many young and old who would love to help and volunteer. Growing our milkweed will help us have plants on sale.
Long-term goal: To purchase the five (5) acres with the 60,000 square feet building and warehouse with the adjoining 2.5 acres to build educational buildings to teach all ages to grow butterfly weed, nectar plants, raise butterflies and honeybees. We also want to help others, young and old, to learn to open their own business of their dreams, how to operate it, get funding, and grants, and help their self-esteem and become confident in themselves and their business. For this long-term goal, we would need to raise $10 million dollars to complete these goals.
Your donation will truly have an impact helping others and our endangered environment and species. This will be the ultimate Houston destination place.
Contact Us!
You may send your donations online by clicking the donate button or contact us at bloomingbeautifulbutterflies@gmail.com, call 713-416-4973, or send a check made payable to Blooming Butterflies, P.O. Box 420367, Houston, Texas 77242.
100% of your donations will be used only for these projects.
We appreciate your kindness and prayers.
With warm regards,
______________________
Michelle Puckett, Charles Puckett, Founders
Phone: 713-416-4973 * mailing address: P.O. Box 420367, Houston, TX 77242
physical address: 10605 Stebbins Circle, Houston, TX 77043
Photo Gallery
This is a layout of our coming soon gardens
Selling healthy plants chemical free. This is from the gardens of our Alabama grower.
We will grow and teach "how to" sessions of vegetables and then donate the harvest to those in need of meals or groceries.