Maren, 20 years old, VA | 5 DAYS WAITING

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Maren believes every room should smell like someone loves you. Maren entered foster care as a child, and she remembers each new home by its scent: fried onions in one, laundry soap in another, and the sharp smell of bleach in a place that never felt like hers. Those smells taught her how deeply a place can shape how safe you feel. When she was old enough to light her first candle, she discovered she could create comfort wherever she was. Now, she is learning to make her own, pouring scents she dreams up herself into small jars that bring a little peace to anyone who lights them. Maren works part-time at a pharmacy and takes business classes, saving every dollar toward her dream of opening her own small candle shop. She is gentle, resourceful, and full of ideas, with a talent for turning her own experiences into something that helps others feel at home. She knows what it’s like to wish for a place that feels safe, and she is determined to bring that feeling to everyone who walks through her door.

As Maren takes her first steps toward starting her candle business, she needs a few key supplies to keep her dream moving. Extra jars, labels, and packaging would let her turn her handmade candles into products that are ready to share with the world. They would keep her goals on track, so she doesn’t have to put her plans on hold while she stretches every dollar. For a young woman who has dreamed up scents for years, these supplies would be the next step toward starting her own business.