The homeless epidemic doesn’t just hit home here in Los Angeles and California. Practically all major cities nationwide are impacted by the crisis. Washington D.C. accounted an estimate of 6,904 homeless people, as of January 2018, according to Continuums of Care to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). Of that total number, 1,781 were chronically homeless individuals, 924 included family households, 318 were young adults (ages 18 – 24), and 306 were Veterans. Three young brothers, decided to help make a difference.
Collin (13), Ryan (10), and Austin Gill (8) initially started their own business, from their Maryland home in Indian Head—selling homemade soy candles—so they can afford toys and video games.
But they also wanted to give back to their community. Therefore, they are donating an estimated $500 a month, to help the homeless around Washington, D.C. and surrounding area.
“My brother Ryan has a big heart,” Collin told “Good Morning America” (GMA). “He likes to help homeless people out—in D.C. there is a lot of homelessness—so every time we would stop by and see a homeless person he would ask my mom to give them money.”
Their candle business—which is called Frères Branchiaux meaning “Gill Brothers” in French—is already being sold in 30 local stores, as well as awaiting a contract with Macy’s.
It all started two years ago.
Their parents, Patrick and Celena Gill, told them if they need more allowance they would need to come up with a business plan, or get a job. Initially playing with the thought of creating bath bombs, they settled for the less harder version of making candles with high quality fragrance oils.
“They surprised me when they started a business and they started selling at their baseball and football games and they’ve moved on to a vending truck,” their mother Celena Gill told “Good Morning America.”
Besides candles, the boys also sell homemade diffusers and room sprays.
Thus far, the trio has made 400 candles in 23 unique scents. Ryan, whose nickname is the “scent-ologist” by the other two, told “Good Morning America” his secret to candle making:
“I usually pick the most scents I like and then I’ll mix them together and ask my family members if they like it or not and then we’ll make it into a candle,” Ryan said.
Their next idea is to go mobile. Since July 14 of this year, the brothers raised $1,186 of their $20,000 goal.
To help them achieve their goal of a candle truck, visit: https://www.gofundme.com/f/a-candle-truck-for-the-candle-boys
“We have a big community and we also want to do job creation,” Celena said in an interview with GMA. “Right now we’re working with one of the organizations to hire some of their clients transitioning from homelessness.”
You can help their candle business grow by visiting https://freresbranchiaux.com/
