An Oregon-based artisan, recycler, and candle retailer.
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Camelias Candles started as a simple hobbyist making molds, but her hobby turned into a passion for keeping candle wax out of landfills. Since then, the business has grown to include a candle recycling program, a boutique craft store, and an online wax and candle shop.
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Our mission To be the local and regional partner for recycling candle wax and to purchase ethically sourced recycled wax. |
Our Vision To make a lasting impact on Earth by being as carbon-neutral as possible. |
Our Values Fostering knowledge of candle wax recycling. Giving people a hand up, not a hand out. Assisting micro entrepreneurs on their growth journey. |
Our Story & Founder,
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Camelia learned how to make candle molds as a part of her mental and physical therapy after brain surgery. After making her creations available for sale, a customer wanted one of her larger candles, but the price was out of reach because of the cost of wax. Camelia suggested that the customer ask friends and family about acquiring candles they didn’t want. The customer was able to collect enough wax to make the candle they wanted affordable. Camelia soon noticed that people were bringing her candles to recycle. This started Camelia's passion for recycling and being a good steward of our planet.
Today, Camelia attends Reduce and Reuse events in Salem. She is connected with the Department of Environmental Quality to continue her education on the importance of materials management and the return of products to the circular economy. And her commitment to supporting the Lebanon community extends to working with organizations such as the Department of Human Services and being an active member of the Lebanon Historical Society. |
We believe in giving a hand up, not a hand out.
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Camelia’s commitment to helping others began with serving as a Job Skills site for the Department of Human Services. Later, her administrative assistant, Sara, came to her through a three-month Work Experience program with The Commission for the Blind. While at first Camelia was unsure what a visually impaired person could do for her, she found that Sara had the knowledge, experience, and patience to handle much of the computer and paperwork, taking several things off Camelia’s plate.
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Sara and Camelia’s relationship went from that short-term experiment to a long-term working relationship. This experience led Camelia to commit to helping teens with vision challenges learn job skills. She has since hosted the Summer Work Experience program with the Oregon Commission for the Blind, and all three participants so far have found jobs in the community.
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We Love Our Community & Our PartnersCamelia enjoys working with micro-entrepreneurs and providing space to sell their products at Camelias Candles, teaching them how to set up their booth, manage inventory, and price their products. She participates in the Lebanon Downtown Association’s First Friday events to help support Lebanon's small businesses.
We are proud of our relationship with the Lebanon Historical Society and being able to provide space for their History of Lebanon exhibit within our shop. Camelia also enjoys working with local schools and community groups on their fundraising and outreach efforts. We are also a Scene Sponsor at the annual Christmas Storybook Land event in Albany, Oregon. |