Shane Popiny — and his mobility service dog Pepper — were the light at Wednesday’s business meeting of Lansdale Borough Council.
Shane & Pepper Candle Company, a small business focused on promoting disability awareness, and whose motto is "Be the light, be the change,” was honored as Lansdale’s Business of the Month for October by the borough’s Economic Development Committee.
Shane, a teen pediatric stroke survivor with cerebral palsy, started the candle-making enterprise with his parents, Brett and Marie Popiny, in 2020 in a building behind North Broad Street. They moved recently to a more visible first-floor location in the former North Penn Reporter building at 307 Derstine Ave.
"It would be impossible to touch on the full story of the organization in the time we have this evening,”
said EDC member Ken Sullivan in his presentation. "Out of all our five senses, memories and stories are most tied to smell, but for Shane the glow from a candle brought calmness within him. Shane wants to offer you the same feeling of calmness within your home.”
Sullivan said that Shane & Pepper began in 2016 with a fundraiser for Shane’s service dog, through a nonprofit called 4 Paws for Ability, by creating natural soy-based candles. Featuring clever candle names such as "Orange you a good dog!” Shane & Pepper’s sales help support charities including the Grant Cardone Foundation and Eagles Autism Challenge.
"The recently established
Shane & Pepper Foundation,” Sullivan added, "partners with area schools like North Penn to provide both life skills and job training for students with varying degrees of ability. "The students work in the shop, doing everything from helping make candles to being expert sellers and recommending candles to fit customer preferences. The Shane & Pepper Foundation provides empowerment, employment, and equity.”
A real estate investment branch of Shane & Pepper, Ability Mindset Investments, is dedicated to flipping and retrofitting homes as accessible housing for people with disabilities. And
Shane & Pepper Candle Company is looking to expand their presence in the community by partnering with local businesses and donating proceeds from partner locations to organizations of the partners’ choice. (Local businesses and organizations can reach Shane & Pepper
via the contact form on their website.)
"In only a few short years and despite the pandemic,” Sullivan said, "the story of Shane & Pepper as a business has expanded beyond a wish for hope, and into a multifaceted, socially conscious business. It is truly a testament to the dedication of Shane, Pepper, and their family to a cause they love.”
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