Three Brothers Donate to the Homeless through Their Own Business

Three young brothers from Maryland, United States, are donating to the homeless using earnings from their own business. Brothers Collin, Ryan, and Austin Gill, who are 13, 11, and 8 respectively, run their own candle-making business. They started this venture after their mother, Celena Gill, told them to get a job or start a business if they would like to buy more toys and video games. While deciding what to sell, the boys asked their mother what she would normally buy, and she answered “candles.” This sparked the idea of opening a candle business called Frères Branchiaux [FREYR BRONCH-yoh], which is French for “Gill Brothers.” The business is a success, and the boys’ products are now sold in more than 30 local stores. To give back to the community, the boys decided to donate 10% of their income to shelters for the homeless. They also hope to open a shop in the future and hire homeless people to man their production. Currently, the whole Gill family is involved in the business, with the children doing most of the legwork. Collin makes around 60% of their monthly production. Everyone is involved in mixing scents, but Ryan is the most hands-on in this area. Meanwhile, Austin claimed to be the best in setting up the candlewick, or the string used in candles. Celena and her husband Patrick Gill help the children with administrative work. At the moment, Collin would like to have a candle truck where they could sell candles on the go. He also added that maybe they could own a factory and expand to other countries in the future.