About Us
Give your life purpose & positivity. Find your true potential. Know you have the ability to impact lives through gratitude and by supporting our mission at ScentsAbility.
Our Mission
At ScentsAbility Candles, our mission is to provide workplace opportunities adapted for adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities(I/DD), by creating beautiful artisan scented candles.
Bonnie Schmidt & Denise Anderson, Co-Founders
Our Story
We founded ScentsAbility Candles in 2009, based on a mutual love for our daughters with intellectual and developmental disabilities (I/DD). When individuals with I/DD finish high school, they are faced with distinctive issues such as loss of federal funding, an increase in isolation, and limited choices for a purposeful day.
ScentsAbility Candles is an innovative social enterprise that serves as a source of sustainable income and life skills for our employees and participants. Started as an alternative to institutionalized and mindless tasks, ScentsAbility Candles provides adaptive strategies to ensure adults with I/DD achieve success, offering solutions that help them thrive.
In 2013, ScentsAbility Candles transitioned to a non-profit organization to advance our mission of providing work opportunities for adults with I/DD. In 2015, ScentsAbility Candles was presented with a Congressional Proclamation in recognition of our Organization’s groundbreaking work with young adults with I/DD. In 2017, ScentsAbility Candles was honored at the annual National Candle Association (NCA) Expo for the products and possibilities we have produced. In addition, ScentsAbility Candles was asked to be the Key Note Speakers, spreading our message of inclusion and purpose to several hundred top executives in the candle industry.
Our Product
Today, ScentsAbility Candles is the longest-running micro-enterprise in the state of Florida. Our artisan-crafted candles are produced with the finest fragrances, a proprietary soy wax blend, and 100% cotton wicks that are non-GMO, non-toxic, and eco-friendly. Learning adaptive strategies to manufacture, market, and sell these candles has provided adults with I/DD a strong pathway to independence.
Get Involved
We are so excited to expand our work and improve the quality of life for more adults with I/DD, and reduce the risks of poverty, obesity, and depression that are so prevalent among individuals with disabilities. We hope to work together towards this mission, and look forward to answering any questions or provide any additional information you may like — just let us know!
Every week, we receive inquiries from more families of adults with I/DD asking how they can get involved in our program. We are actively working to build community partnerships that will allow us to expand our program. If you are interested in learning more and getting involved, please let us know! Reach out any time via (954) 234-4405 or info@scentsability.org.