Drinks. Cookies. A live pianist. Of course it wouldn’t be a Bright Endeavors open house without its large assortment of Dreambean candles out on display.

Recycled Bottle Candles

This past Saturday, Bright Endeavors opened its doors  to the public showcasing their great variety of candles handmade by women in their program. For those who may not already know, Bright Endeavors is a nonprofit social enterprise committed to helping inner city, homeless and at-risk young women, between the ages of 16 – 25, gain the necessary skills to become self-sufficient, successful adults. The money made from producing candles goes towards life and job skills training to help improve the self-sufficiency of these women.

Sure the candles help support a great cause but there are also some great ideas behind the candles!

One selection offered by Bright Endeavors were candles made in recycled wine, beer and soda bottles. Each candle was made with a soy wax inside of the bottom halves of these recycled bottles. The soy wax is water soluble so once you are finished with the candle, you can wash out the glass and use it as a drinking glass. Talk about recyclable!

Flower Pot Candles

While on the topic of recyclable goods, one other candle promoted green usage. These candles were held in flower pots made from recycled rice hulls. Not only were the pots made from something recyclable but after the candle was finished, they could be used as normal flower pots. If you chose to throw it away instead, the pots were completely bio-degradable, which also made it that much more green-friendly.

As a result of the open house, Bright Endeavors sold enough product to support 90 hours of quality training and mentoring for their homeless/at-risk women. It was a Saturday afternoon well spent.

Check out Bright Endeavors at www.brightendeavors.org or follow @brightendeavors on Twitter!