Autism Candle Making

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I made a candle making company in Humboldt county California for people with autism and other developmental related disabilities (differences or the diversity in quality which defines normalcy). Thus far two front page featured stores and 25+ resellers locations and growing. I am a Redwood Coast Regional Center consumer and a job coach helps me out and drives me all over the place. It's getting kind of big and I am glad I made the frustrating leap into the business and employment advocacy. It's part of my PASS plan through SSA as well. though my board of directors I am forming has a Harvard graduate autism specialist and she will help with the non-profit paperwork.

Who here has ever wanted to do something similarly, as I have alot of ideas and things that have worked out I'd like to do this with the help of others in other areas. I call it Compassionate Integrations (C.I). It's for employment, independent living, public advocacy and gainfull employment but not getting rich of course. Feeling productive and being supported in employment and so far I have succeeded.

I pour the soybean wax and I've spent two years researching fragrant oils to find the very best ones. Others label and put the wicks into the candles and help with the packaging. There are no disability centers where pouring candle wax is safe because it's hot. I do this 7 days a week but donate all the money back into the employment project I made up.

Welcome to WrongPlanet!

Merle

Excellent concept and execution of the project. I wish you trememdous success and hope others follow in your footsteps to similar business ideas. Keep us up to date for sure.

I am making 10,000 sample packs with a free tealight candle just for one town to be sent out in the Times-Standard newspaper. It's going ok and local schools have fundraised with the candles. The marketing, advocacy and dedication have resulted in something unique and I think historic in autism and disability advocacy. It's been lots of free labor on my end and I still even when it makes profit am capped to earning 50% above SSI / SSDI like any other participant.

Disability minority group advocacy and business model. The candles smell better then any I have smelled in mainstream commercial stores. I get good deals on supplies with advocacy and receive pallets of supplies that are stored at sponsor locations. Logistical efficiency is maximized, overhead is small and the supply capability is in the tens of thousands of candles a year. It's becoming somewhat of a souvenir item at local business gift shops in the Avenue of the Giants and in Trinidad. I just work on it all the time. I have even written twice on the front page of the local Chamber of Commerce newsletter that goes to 500 businesses about autism employment advocacy.

Some here may know me from online advocacy from years in the past. I am witting a book about online autism advocacy, the sociology of and employment model I devised for community based employment transitions and supports. It will be called Humboldt Candles - The True Story.

Good work and I wish you luck.

I will make pictures of my in home candle factory. Some of the work thus far is outsourced to disability day programs. I will keep things updated on this forum and with pictures soon.

Framed letter next to some product displays or in stores.

[1305x1589 785KB img]http://www.compassionateintegrations.org/HCCompInfo.jpg[/img]

As of yesterday instead of 2 radio stations there are 4-7 radio station sponsors. This ad in MP3 was produced in a production studio at Redwood Broadcasting today which represents 2 radio stations they own..

http://www.humboldtcandles.com/hcradioad.mp3

It has been 3 years of a battle to just create something reasonable by which people with disabilities who do not do well in mainstream can work doing candle stuff. It's still small but it is growing so fast and is so visible. It's inspiring that it went from one stubborn candle making attempt to sponsorships, large stores carrying the candles and phone calls of support. This week I finally feel like the battle is over with and I can finally work as if it's ok and normal. What I mean to say is at first I thought I would get in trouble for trying to make candles for people to make money that were also disabled. I thought some people would hate me for some reason. I thought people would not like the idea for some reason. It's been hell but I have been determined.

So it's like being on top of the world I suppose looking down from a big hill and saying I conquered so to say what I set out to do was accomplished. Now it's time figuratively to continue to build this and never ever think twice. Professionals in the field have talked to me, they tell me they talk to others in the field about me and although it is obviously grandiosity manifested and if just dreamed of happening it would be a spell of mania but it is true and really real now and not a dream. So now for the next plan and that is to continue building it up so I can employ people for more hours. This is so much fun.

I really wish CPA's would stop taking all of the money and one would volunteer!

It's taking away from the progress!

You're an inspiration to us all, I'm amazed and touched by your work! I wish you all the luck in the world with your business, a very unique and thoughtful thing you're doing.