Valley woman starts candle company during quarantine

PHOENIX - When the pandemic hit, Amy Harris knew the only thing she could control was what she did with her time.

"I've been doing a lot of studying over the past several months on how to make the perfect candle," Harris said.

Research led Harris to start her dream business or creating and selling candles with a purpose.

"So when we launched this, we knew that we wanted to give back to a reputable organization," Harris explained. "When we were in Illinois, we had heard the story of an Illinois state trooper that was killed in the line of duty and Tunnel to Towers actually paid off the mortgage for his wife and kids."

Harris says the nonprofit's dedication to law enforcement appealed to her.

"I come from a law enforcement family," Harris said. "My dad, my sister and my brother-in-law all are in law enforcement and just hearing that story really struck a chord with me."

M.C. Candle Co. officially launched in April. Named after Harris' two toddlers, Mali and Casey, the company donates a portion of each sale to Tunnel to Towers.

The Stephen Siller Tunnel to Towers Foundation honors the sacrifice of firefighter Stephen Siller, who laid down his life to save others on Sept. 11, 2001.

It also honors our military and first responders who continue to serve the United States.

Harris says her favorite candle scent is lemon verbena, and birthday cake is the most popular because it uses real sprinkles. 

"My daughter loves to smell the different fragrances that we get and gives her opinion on them as well -- she'll tell me if she likes it, she'll tell me if it's disgusting," Harris said. "She's four years old. I appreciate the honesty!"

Shop candles: https://www.etsy.com/shop/MCCandleCompany