Help Candelaria Thrive: Save Our Local Gem

Candelaria is a Denver-based neighborhood boutique. We're most loved for our candles, candlemaking classes, and as a go-to neighborhood gift shop.

I've opened up fundraising as we've been met with slow sales and foot traffic. Candelaria launched over 8 years ago and brought my dreams to life - being able to live out my creative ambitions in offering a safe and comfortable place to find artisanal goods made by American women. Our customers LOVE our store; finding solace in the fresh green plants, taking a break to browse a gorgeous book, sniff through our candle offerings, let their children play with their favorite toys, and ask for help in selecting gifts for their loved ones. Over the years, I've hosted over 1,000 classes in candlemaking and LOVED getting to share my wisdom and knowledge of candlemaking and the scent world with the Denver community.

So much has changed in our world in the last 4 years, and we've been met with our fair share of hurdles during that time. Recently, slower sales have deeply impacted us on a financial level. And while we're constantly making savvy business decisions at every opportunity, we've reached the end of our maneuvering line. We've shared this message with our community earlier this year, reminding you of the importance of shopping small and local. But unfortunately, we continue to have plenty of days that the store is empty for most of the day.

We're seeking help from our community to keep Candelaria going. We just love our location in Highlands and the neighborhood and we know our community does too. The gift season is coming soon, but not soon enough. We don't want to see Candelaria close its doors at 32nd and Meade just yet and we hear from our customers that it's a difficult thought for them too. We've been working hard these last few months to pivot our offerings and have some major hope for the future, but with continued slow sales, we're not likely to keep things going through the remainder of 2024.

Please help us in keeping the Highland's neighborhood vibrant with small, local shops like Candelaria. Our landlord will be quick to allow a Starbucks or larger company to come onto our amazing corner and will no longer offer a screen door, with good smells, and smiling faces for you.

Your donation today will cover essential expenses like rent, cost of labor, inventory, and supplies for the next 2 months.

We are continuously so grateful and overly impressed with the love that we feel from our community. We know that not everyone can come shop with us and so hopefully this is a way for our community to engage with us in ways that haven't been able to before. And please come say "hi" in our Highland's store or pass this along on your social media. We know how powerful and expansive community reach can be!