WILKES-BARRE, Pa. — Candles are everywhere you look inside the factory at Scent-Sations in Wilkes-Barre. It's been making and distributing candles for more than 20 years.
"We're like a Mary Kay company," explained CEO Robert Scocozzo. "We have distributors all across the U.S. and Canada. They buy wholesale, and then they go out and fundraise. They do craft shows, a solo traveler out of their car, whatever, home parties, and we have thousands of people out there that all sell our candles."
Scocozzo often fundraises from the wholesale proceeds to help local charities in Wilkes-Barre.
For the foreseeable future, Scent-Sations will play host to a fundraiser for people in need in Ukraine through the sale of a sunflower-scented candle labeled with the word "hope."
"We're watching the TV, and we're seeing all these kids and their mothers and fathers, and they're running, they're in basements and subways," added Scocozzo about the inspiration behind the effort.
Between local sales and part of the distributors, Scocozzo tells Newswatch 16 the company has already sold more than 1,000 of these candles to help people in Ukraine. Employees are staying late on Wednesday to make more to match demand.
"Six months ago, we decided to do sunflower before all this happened. And so we just rolled it in and made a new label," he added.
A portion of the proceeds from the candle sales will help the people of Ukraine through a church nearby.
"I know St. John's Church at Wilkes-Barre Township recently had a fundraiser, and I know these proceeds are going there, and I know it will go exactly where it's supposed to be to help the people that are in great need right now," said Sandy Boris of Wilkes-Barre who came into the shop to purchase three candles.
See more videos on our area’s connection to the Crisis in Ukraine.