“You get to the point where you want to give back,” says Riau Canada’s founding attorney of the company that makes eco-friendly scented candles and donates part of its proceeds to counseling and reintegration services for people using homeless shelters and other organizations. community. .
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On a rainy Thursday morning in St-Henri, a group of women from very different backgrounds were making scented candles, all of whom were learning things.
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Clémence Tshikangu and Maria Maksoudian were unpacking jars into which to pour a new batch of hot wax. Both employees were referred to the new company, Riau Canada, by community organizations that help those in need.
Riau COO Louise Bourassa and CEO Franca Ciambella took a break from making calls and discussing strategy to offer a tour of the small loft to a Gazette reporter and photographer.
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Ciambella admits that she feels like a fish out of water. Having worked most of her career abroad as a lawyer specializing in international mergers and acquisitions, financial technology and cryptocurrencies.
“I was a great flier, I still am, in many ways,” she said, “flying all over the place, staying in the best hotels, having first-rate clients and being in a certain environment. I have acted for all the big Canadian companies; everyone knows me. But you get to the point where you want to give back. “
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Ciambella had the idea to create a candle company employing disadvantaged people when he returned to Montreal in January 2020.
“I went back … to the start of COVID, wanting to take care of my family members after living in Singapore for 30 years,” he said, “I noticed so many people on the street, many homeless people. It really affected me.
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“Then I remembered some American missionary friends in Asia who had started a candle-making business employing people from the streets. They are based on a small island (in) Indonesia, in the province of Riau. “
He spoke with his friends and decided to launch Riau Canada as the North American branch of the Riau Candle Company, using many of the same recipes to make hand-poured eco-friendly soy candles for a cause. The candles come in four sizes and more than 15 fragrances, including wild rose, amber, and ash, spice market, and blue hydrangeas, plus the seasonal Christmas tree and merry mistletoe.
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While Riau Canada is a for-profit company, 35 percent of its profits will be donated to reintegration counseling services at homeless shelters and community organizations, according to Ciambella. But the most immediate results can be seen in the faces of the three employees hired through community organizations since operations began in early October.
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Some of them have dealt with problems like homelessness and joblessness for a long period.
“They are helping people who are having a hard time finding work,” said Tshikangu, who was referred to Riau Canada by the Welcome Hall Mission and started work just over a week ago. “They are looking for people like us.
“I like it,” he added. “I did a little training. The work is good, peaceful and calm ”.
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Maria Maksoudian was referred by the Movement for Integration and Retention in Employment (MIRE).
“The atmosphere is really good here,” he said. “Before I had some problems finding a job. But this is good. We smelled good at the end of the day. I am happy. I feel good. At least I found a job. “
Ciambella hopes to help many more people rejoin the workforce. It has expansion plans across the country and in the US, with the help of Riau Candle Company’s US connections. Riau Canada is already fulfilling orders and its website ( riaucanada.com ) is open to the public.
“What makes it really useful is when I look at the people (who work here) and think, ‘Maybe we’re just making a little dent,’” he said. “Our motto is: ‘Recover with honor.’ We are trying to help people recover. “
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Reference-montrealgazette.com