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"Candles Help Victims"
by Jamie Lemke-Barrand, Herald-Republican
Saturday, September 2, 2006

ANGOLA - When Hurricane Katrina came ashore last year, Angola candlemaker Grazia Pandolfo-Wilson was weathering some pretty significant personal storms of her own.

The proprietor of AromaSoy by Grazia had been making soy candles for a few years and had only recently moved production from her kitchen to a storefront in Angola's shopping district when she was plunged into what she described as "an emotionally devastating, financially challenging divorce."

As Pandolfo-Wilson was reeling from her personal trauma last August, news of Katrina's aftermath began saturating TV, radio and print news. As mired down in her own ordeal as she was, Pandolfo-Wilson was "deeply saddened by the suffering, loss and destruction" Hurricane Katrina had left in its wake. She wanted to do something, but didn't know what she could do .. after all, she said, she was "juggling a meager income and physical limitations."

Pandolfo-Wilson couldn't shake her thoughts about what was happening in New Orleans. She decided that although she couldn't write any huge checks to donate to the hurricane relief cause, she had other resources that could prove to be helpful - among them her creativity, compassion, imagination and determination.

Always one to keep up on and research what was happening in the world of candle making, Pandolfo-Wilson discovered that others in her field were using their candles to raise money. She took that idea and ran with it, commissioning an artist to create a frosted keepsake container for her newest creation - the Magnolia Blossoms candle, devised in honor of Louisiana's state flower. She set up a display in her shop and also offered the candle on her Web site, www.aromasoy-by-grazia.com.

When she debuted Magnolia Blossoms, Pandolfo-Wilson was donating 100 percent of the profits from the candle's sales to Katrina relief organizations.

Nine months after Katrina, Pandolfo-Wilson was still working to keep her business going. She hadn't thought much about her Katrina relief candles in a while, even though she was still offering them, as sales had dropped off in the months after the storm.

But in May, she got word that someone knew she was still offering the candles and wanted to recognize her efforts.

Pandolfo-Wilson opened up an e-mail from the assistant editor of In Style, a national celebrity and fashion news magazine. Someone at the magazine had come across the AromaSoy by Grazia Web site, and was interested in including information about the Magnolia Blossoms candle in the August 2006 issue.

On page 304 of that publication is a photo of Pandolfo-Wilson's candle. It's included in a section titled "Gifts that Give Back," which showcases products from various companies across the country that are still offering products to aid with hurricane relief.

Pandolfo-Wilson wasn't sure when or if In Style was going to mention her, so after she was contacted and gave the magazine her information she put it to the back of her mind and went on about her business.

Then, all of a sudden, orders began pouring in for the candle, and she knew something was up. Due to the overwhelming response the mention in the magazine created, donations from the candle had to be reduced to 50 percent of sales, Pandolfo-Wilson said.

The candles are still available at Pandolfo-Wilson's shop, located at 205 W. Harcourt Road, Suite C. Hours fluctuate, so she also welcomes phone calls and e-mails. She can be contacted at 668-3584 or via her Web site.

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