Let's Go Back...
In 2020, our CEO, Jona, searched for a philanthropic cause to give back to in alignment with her philanthropic experience at Penn State University. When looking at statistics for trafficking and abuse in the United States, she realized that many were afraid to approach such a taboo topic right here on home ground. With that, she selected a national charity dedicated to the fight against child trafficking & abuse.
Kicking off their first philanthropy fundraiser, Jona created a fundraising model of selling homemade soy wax candles with the tagline Lighting The Way Against Trafficking & Abuse; handmaking and shipping everything out of Peoria, Illinois where it still operates to this day. Over time, donors immersed themselves in giving back to the cause, contributing over twenty thousand dollars in the last four years.
Becoming Illuminate
We couldn't help feeling like we could be making a bigger impact...
As donations grew immensely, she teamed up with students from other colleges and decided to make things official. In 2023, a name was given to our business model. Illuminate was born under the suggestion of non-profit
co-founders Celeste Jones (Purdue) & Jona Kay (Penn State).
How It Works...
Throughout the year, Illuminate donors have the opportunity to submit a trafficking & abuse shelter in their area that they would like Illuminate to sponsor. In June, the annual Project will be announced at the official in-person kickoff event.
Each November, our homemade soy wax candle shop opens and Philanthropy Month commences. Every single candle is made by our CEO at home in Illinois, and every car diffuser is created by our COO out of her home in Kentucky. Illuminators race to secure donations to hit our annual goal. 100% of proceeds go toward both requested shelter supply wish list and monetary donation, giving us a hands-on approach to those that we're supporting. The weekend after Giving Tuesday, members shop and help hand deliver our Project donation to the shelter.
Our Dedicated Team Fighting Against Violence
Chief Executive Officer & Co-Founder