When disaster strikes, the feeling of hopelessness can consume a person. Not knowing how to help or where to donate leads to feeling useless. Door County Candle Company believes it has provided a way to help.
Located in Carlsville, Door County Candle has been open since 1993 when it was founded by Mike and Nancy. In 2021, Christiana Trapani took over the business and began the journey of Support a Cause Candles.
“I bought the business in June of 2021, and I was kind of learning the ropes for a while, just trying to figure out running a business in general, and then it was when the Ukraine war started and when Russia invaded, that was when I decided I wanted to do a fundraiser candle,” Trapani said. Knowing something had to be done, Trapani launched the Ukraine candle. “We launched that candle, and I really didn’t expect much from it. I didn’t think anyone would really purchase it, to be honest; I thought maybe a few. And so, the overwhelming response was incredible. That really opened my eyes to, oh, you know, I think we can be a way that people can help different causes. They can trust that the money will go to good nonprofits that we vetted, and they know that they can have a symbol for it,” Trapani said.
When purchasing a Ukraine candle, 100% of the profits are donated to Razom for Ukraine. Razom means “together” in Ukrainian, and their mission is to “uphold the principles of the Revolution of Dignity (Maidan) and actively contribute to the establishment of a secure, prosperous, and democratic Ukraine,” stated RazomforUkraine.org. They contribute to providing aid for first responders, healthcare, relief, and advocacy.
Since starting the Ukraine candle, Trapani’s eyes were opened to how much good their products could contribute. Thus started their Support a Cause Candle line. “So, hurricanes, wildfires, earthquakes, that’s kind of like our supported cause line. And then from there, it grew into doing, like, two of my friends, their kids have cancer, so we did different fundraisers for them. A lot of times, it might be a personal connection of why we do something, and then from there, we built our fundraising program because we wanted to help as many people as possible, and we realized that we just couldn’t possibly do a fundraiser for everything, so we built our online platform so anybody could fundraise with us and then raise money for their nonprofits,” said Trapani.
Their Support a Cause Candle line includes:
- Ukraine Candle
- Maui Wildfire Relief
- Golden State California Wildfire
- Beachside – Hurricane Helene & Milton
- Bravery Candle
- Thank you Poland
- Powerful Traditional Candle
- Lucia Strong Candle
- Peninsula Paradise – Dillion Family Foundation
Ever since the success of the Ukraine candle, the impact it has made on the company has been noticeable. “I feel like it’s really gotten our name on the radar. I mean, it’s been an established business for 20-plus years. But I think this really made people aware of who we are. And people, it’s cool, people will come in now, with their cameras, and they’ll take photos of our checks because we have several checks on display, and they’ll take photos of our Ukraine flag. It’s cool because that’s something that is so special, and people now really come to us and see us as a place to fundraise. It’s just cool, and people will venture so far out of their way to come see us,” said Trapani.
With unpredictability of natural disasters, Trapani has come across challenges when it comes to the candle line. “We run out of fragrance. With our Golden State candle, we ran out of orange clove immediately. The latest Ukraine candle we had; we ran out of vanilla. We experience a lot of supply chain issues,” Trapani stated. The company always has scents on hand, but they never know how big of a demand the candle will be. Shipping of orders becomes a problem when supplies are limited, and the demand becomes higher than they expected. “You just never know what’s next,” remarked Trapani.
The candles have brought people together far and wide. By spreading light and kindness, Door County Candle Company has become a place where stories get told. “Having people come in who share their direct stories of, “my home was destroyed in this fire or I’m a cancer survivor. And this candle means so much to me.” We get to meet so many people and it’s incredible to see how our candles directly impact and influence people. It’s incredible,” expressed Trapani. The Ukraine candle has been delivered to Ukrainian soldiers, has been shipped worldwide, and has raised over $1 million and counting.
When disaster strikes, many organizations ask for donations. Door County Candle researches the best non-profit to donate to. For the Ukraine candle, Trapani had inside help. “I talked to my family because, you know, we’re Ukrainian, so I knew I had that connection, and I found Razom from them, which is how he picked the Ukraine one. And my family volunteered there. I did my own research, and I love how transparent they are and their whole story,” said Trapani.
For the rest of the Support a Cause candles (wildfires and hurricanes) the company defaults to the Red Cross because they are the first one’s out there for natural disaster relief. Because natural disasters are unpredictable, the company acts fast to find an organization.
If interested in getting involved, one can purchase a candle, but if that is not an option, Trapani suggested sharing their message. “Like what we do and how we like to help various causes and how we’re dedicated to helping,” said Trapani.
“I always love to tell people that we’re in Door County. We’re a small shop, but we’ve done big things. It’s just a good reminder that, I always tell people it sounds a little cliche, but don’t think just by being one person you’re too small. You’re not. Thinking you can’t make a big impact. I feel like our story is a direct example that that’s not true and that one person can make a huge impact. People always tell me, like, “Oh, I’m just buying one candle; I’m not making a big impact.” But you are because that one candle and other candles purchased, turn into a big impact.”