Erin Danzer and his volunteers deliver boxes filled with valuable items for people undergoing loss, with comforting words on the front of each box. (Photo submitted by Erin Danzer)
By Gaye Bunderson
Erin Danzer’s mom led him to the Lord when he was young. Since his teenage years, Danzer felt called to ministry. But, he said, “I put that aside for a long time.”
That ‘long time’ came to an end after his mother suffered a stroke at age 78 and was hospitalized. Said Danzer, now 51: “The Lord really spoke to me during that time.”
What came out of that experience were connected areas of service, including the Yellow Rose Project, Faith Unshaken Ministries, and Sherri Bee Ministries.
His mother was in the hospital for 10 days and was on hospice. “I worked in hospice for 11 years,” Danzer said, “and I was familiar with death.”
In fact, both he and his mom, because of their faith, were never afraid of dying. “But,” stated Danzer, “as humans, we grieve.”
He was holding his mom’s hand as she passed in 2025, and one of the things he most recalls about her was how she was always sharing about Jesus — all the time and to every available person.
During his mother’s illness and passing, Danzer said, “God was showing me that nothing else matters except living for God, glorifying God, and sharing the love of Christ with others. In this moment, I was thinking, ‘I can do better.’ This was my ministry field, and God put it right into my heart.”
Through his mother’s death, the Yellow Rose Project was born.
“Yellow roses were my mom’s favorite flower,” Danzer said.
The project revolves around caring for families as they sit by bedsides, hold hands, try to console themselves and others, and, ultimately, mourn the loss of a loved one. The Yellow Rose Project partners with one hospice group at present, and the project’s volunteers provide boxes filled with items mostly directed to families undergoing that loss.
“The boxes have evolved a bit since the beginning. They are 90 percent for families at bedsides, but some of the items are for the person who is dying,” stated Danzer.
One of the changes that can be especially difficult for families at the end of life is a change in their loved one’s breathing. So the box includes information to help families understand what changes in breathing may occur and what they can expect. It also includes comfort items such as lip balm made from natural beeswax, which can help with dry lips that may occur when a patient is using oxygen or breathing through the mouth.
There are also Scripture memory cards in the boxes relevant to end-of-life situations. And, since the families are anticipating grief, these cards also have areas for families to write down memories, thoughts, emotions, or meaningful moments they experience during this time.
Boxes include tissues, information on resources, Gospel of John books, and GriefShare devotionals for the grieving, as well as other GriefShare resources. “We’re supporting the need at the moment but also for future growth and a church home if needed,” Danzer said.
There are also boxes prepared for people who are traveling away from home to the bedside of a dear one.
There are different items also for younger family members, including a book for 7- to 12-year-olds that is biblically-based and “allows children to grieve through activity,” according to Danzer. Use of the activity guide depends on the age of the child, and some may need help from a guardian while other, older children work through the activities on their own.
Danzer originally designed the boxes, but they have since been rebranded with professional branding.
It costs about $25 per box to fill them, and Danzer stressed that the non-profit is 100% donor funded by both individuals and churches.
He and his wife, Wendy, filled the first boxes and now have some volunteers who pitch in, and some hospice staff members have helped prepare them as well. Danzer and his volunteer crew started building the boxes in August of 2025 and started distributing them in December of 2025. As of early September 2026, 42 boxes had been handed to families in the throes of bereavement.
“Before the boxes are distributed,” Danzer said, “we pray over them; about 95% are hand-delivered, with the help of board members and volunteers.”
The Yellow Rose Project encompasses the entire Treasure Valley.
The boxes aren’t simply dropped off and left without further communication. A phone line has been set up. For anyone who needs to talk, they may call 208.HE LOVES (or 208-435-6837) or 844.HE LOVES (or 844-435-6837). If no one is available to answer the phones, callers are invited to leave a message or send a text, and someone will respond as soon as possible.
Danzer works a paying job and everything that has happened with the Yellow Rose Project has been done in God’s timing, he said, and it will all continue to function that way. “It’s ALL been in His timing. We’re ready to take it to another level; I’d love to do it full-time, but we’re not there yet.”
Has working at both a job and a ministry been challenging? The answer is yes.
“I’ve been stretched thin,” Danzer said, explaining that during those times, he leans on 2 Corinthians 12:9, which reads, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.”
One of the things that challenges him most is that he tends to be an introvert, and it has been challenging for him to approach others. “I lean on Him; He is there in our weaknesses,” he said.
He also created a program called Faith Unshaken Ministries at www.faithunshaken.org, which is the umbrella ministry of the Yellow Rose Project and a stand-alone ministry as well. “I want to bring people to Christ, so when inevitable bad things happen to them, they are already grounded in Jesus.”
Danzer sees the hand of God in so much of his life, past and present. For instance:
His son — Jacob, now 29 — was injured in a motorcycle accident and lost his leg. Where was God in that?
Danzer explained: Jacob was serving in the Marines and, while stationed at Camp Lejeune, N.C., had gone to a Harley-Davidson store near Myrtle Beach, S.C., to purchase a helmet so he could ride a motorcycle to and from the base. “The woman who waited on him was meticulous in helping him get the best helmet,” Danzer said. Three weeks later, the motorcycle accident happened, and the helmet saved Jacob’s life. Danzer and his wife felt that, following the crash: “Our lives really changed. Now our hope is to have people have faith in Jesus, and to anchor them in their faith so that they withstand life’s storms.”
Regarding the passing of his mom, Danzer said, “Yes, it was sad, but I was faithful — and thankful to have the opportunity to serve God and to lean on Him for strength and love.”
With Faith Unshaken Ministries, the Danzers have also been involved in helping kids get school supplies through organized events and providing supplies to foster children. Another program of faith, hope, and love is the Sherri Bee Ministries mobile clothing closet (see www.FaithUnshaken.org), named in honor of Danzer’s mother and her heart for others. “My mom was a shopper, and she loved clothes,” Danzer said. “She believed everyone should have the opportunity to dress nicely. In her memory, Wendy and I received a trailer through generous donations that we plan to use to reach people in need and help provide clothing and other practical necessities.”
The vision for this ministry also includes helping provide other practical services and support to individuals who are elderly, homebound, or otherwise unable to easily access the things they need.
Another area of service for the Danzers has been working with young people who come from broken homes or who don’t have homes. For a time, they helped open the youth building at the Refuge in Caldwell on Friday nights to provide dinner for teens and adults.
“Since our son’s accident, God’s been working in our lives. Through various events, He has been shaping us … though it’s sometimes painful. But we don’t want to be complacent and comfortable. Troubles are where we mostly lean on Him,” said Danzer.
The couple learned for themselves that with God they are never alone, and it’s a message they want to impart to others as well.
