Bouganvillea's candles with a cause

A few years ago, floral company Bougainvillea quietly came onto the scene with a line of candles that had a philanthropic bent.

A friend and retailer, Susan Henry, owner of Cobblestone & Vine, Little Rock, Ark., told Bougainvillea owners David Hinson and Jeff Chauvin they should add candles to their line, and she even pointed them in the right direction.

"Initially, we didn't want to publish the fact that these candles were made by a nonprofit agency because we didn't want our customers to think we weren't making money on them," Hinson said. "But once people did find out about it they wanted to know more about the candles and the agency."

All of Bougainvillea's candles are hand-poured, so each is different, in glass, pillars, votives, Italian ceramic bowls or etched glass containers by the Arkansas Enterprises for the Developmentally Disabled. It's a private agency, founded by Max Taylor, that not only employs developmentally disabled citizens, but its profits provide 24-hour care for adults with mental disabilities in Arkansas. Hinson said 100% of what Bougainvillea pays AEDD for the candles goes to the 24-hour adult care facility.

The candles are available in 25 fragrances, with Black Velvet being the best seller right now. They are poured with essential oils, are paraffin-based wax with 12% oil and 100% cotton wicks.

The Tuberose fragranced candle is one of Bougainvillea's best sellers.