Jennifer Del Bel has been making candles for over a decade. Her first candle company was Illumina, before she opened Downlights, a soy candle company and social enterprise that supports young adults with Down syndrome and intellectual or learning disabilities.
The idea for Downlights came to Del Bel four years ago when she was introduced to a family who were struggling to find employment for their daughter with Down syndrome.
“Not one company would return their email or phone call. This deeply affected me. I was at a turning point in my life and I decided to completely change my business model,” said Del Bel.
Utilising her intellectual property, contacts and manufacturing experience she had obtained from Illumina, Del Bel started Downlights with the objective of supporting the development of workplace skills for young adults with disabilities.
During Downlights’ first year of operation, she met Grace Stratton and Dr. Robbie Francis Watene, who guided Del Bel through the steps of learning to advocate for the Downlights crew. She also worked with Amy and Sheridan from Recreate, who helped to support her through every learning curve.
“The parents of the Downlights crew were also incredibly supportive and worked closely with me to develop the best work environment for their children to thrive.”
Del Bel said that her biggest motivation is seeing the personal milestones that her Downlights crew achieve every day.
“Witnessing Downlights’ national and international impact on people's perception of socially conscious business models is also a key driver,” added Del Bel.
If she could go back in time, Del Bel would advise her younger self to be prepared to learn the true meaning of resilience and love.
“Every young adult I have worked with and met along this journey has faced daily challenges. But they continue battling them with dignity, before moving onto tackling the next one. When you are part of helping them, you are rewarded with loyalty and love that sets the bar high for everyone else you encounter in life.”
