Bliss Yoga Studio was founded October 8, 2012 by Jennifer Kelley McCracken, and transitioned into the nonprofit studio Blissful Life Corporation officially in February 2015. Over the nine years of operation in Ocala/Marion County, Blissful Life has assisted over 1,500 individuals and grown into our 2,000-sq.ft. facility located in Laurel Run Professional Center. Our mission, to heal trauma through wellness in Ocala/Marion County, has always been our utmost goal. Our volunteers and teachers thrive when assisting those in need of finding inner peace and healing. Initially, our focus was primarily upon helping domestic violence survivors and veterans with PTSD. As we have continued serving our community, however, we have found the need to expand that mission to all who suffer from trauma and need healing, including those in substance abuse recovery, first responders, teachers, and everyone in between.

We were in a period of wonderful financial and creative abundance as we entered the COVID-19 pandemic in March 2020. Over the last nine years, we certainly have seen our share of struggles and triumphs, like all businesses. As a bare-bones nonprofit, we operate with very little overhead and lots of volunteer support. We found ourselves agile and responsive to the rapidly-changing times, and we used our skills in flexibility to move from standard classes to an online-only platform, then to a hybrid dual-teaching model, and eventually back to in-person classes. We survived the experience as a community, and are stronger for it.

Thankfully, and through lots of fundraising efforts by our team of volunteers, we had a generous financial buffer that we intended to see us through the pandemic. While we were ineligible for PPP, we felt like our nest egg would carry us through regardless. Like we all now know, the pandemic lasted longer than many of us anticipated, and the impact was pretty intense upon the nonprofit financially. As the months continued, funds were becoming more depleted, and our general donors had less to share. Our main goals were (1) staying open and (2) keeping our teachers employed to the best of our abilities. We paid forward our tenants' rent but often fell short on our own portion of it as the late Fall and Winter appeared. When our unique business structure became eligible this Spring to apply for PPP, we did so, yet were denied from our uncommunicative lender for an "incomplete application" nearly a month after the deadline to apply for funding had passed. We continue to pay every cent toward our arrears, but we have still not overcome our balance due.

We on the Board and volunteer team have found ourselves in financial situations before that were precarious, much like this, and one thing we all agreed on wholeheartedly was that we want to avoid ending up here again. More importantly, through this trial, our team came together and realized that financial instability is hampering our ability to impact the community to the degree which we desire.

Part of why a nonprofit is a different kind of business is that the community at-large supports them so that they can continue their needed services. After 9 years of operations, we feel that the community has proven a NEED for our services, and we've finally figured a way to help meet our needs beyond the generous donations collected from our student community: ask for help.

So welcome to Blissful Life Corporation's first-annual, five-day Flash Donor Drive. To help ensure Blissful Life continues into 2022, we are asking for 175 community-based donors to give $42 one-time each year. Why $42? We were founded in October 2012, and 10+20+12 = 42! (And, for those who get the reference, 42 is the meaning of life.)

Please join us as we celebrate nine awesome years of helping to heal trauma throughout Ocala/Marion County by the means of yoga, meditation, belly dancing, and every other wonderful experience we've brought to our community. We are grateful you've allowed us this much time to help our neighbors, our loved ones, and ourselves. If you'd like to reach out and join our monthly donor program, please contact me at the information below. We'd love to have a new Happy Person in our ranks!

Be well,

Kelsie Ruff Smith, Exec. Director, & Team

Blissful Life Corporation

Blissful Life Corporation

located in Laurel Run Professional Center

2100 SE 17th St, Suite 110

Ocala, FL 34471

Call or Text: 352-694-YOGA (9642)

Website: www.blissocala.com

Email: [email redacted]