A Candle Company Lost Everything in a Fire—Then Its Young Leader Rebuilt It for 200 Special-Needs Wickers
After a fire destroyed their warehouse, one candle company fought back to save hundreds of jobs
Key Takeaways
- A Cheerful Giver employs adults with special needs to hand-wick candles in New Jersey.
- After a tragic 2025 fire, the family-owned candle business reopened in just 27 days.
- Today, the inspiring brand sells scented candles in over 7,000 retail locations globally.
When Mark Gross joined his family’s business after college, he discovered its unique employees made the job especially rewarding! Here, he shares his story with Woman’s World.
“Smells wonderful, Mark Gross remembers thinking when he was greeted with scents of cinnamon and vanilla each time he walked into his parents’ warehouse after school.
Tony and Susan Gross purchased the candle company A Cheerful Giver in 2008, located in the rural town of Elmer, New Jersey.
Taking its name from the Bible verse 2 Corinthians 9:7 — “God loves a cheerful giver” — Mark knew all too well that the company was more than a name to his family.
They always sought out ways to impact their community through their business.
A family business built on giving back
When his parents first bought the business, they decided to partner with the nonprofit Career Opportunity Development Inc. (CODI) to hire people with special needs to wick candles at a nearby CODI facility.
With hand-poured candles made in more than 100 fragrances, their role is key to the quality of the product.
For more than 20 years, Mark witnessed his parents’ mission to give opportunities to adults of all abilities. Even as a youngster, seeing the pride on everyone’s faces shaped how Mark sees work, purpose and people. He officially came to work at A Cheerful Giver after he graduated from college a few years ago.
But on a cold, windy night in early January 2025, a fire broke out in the manufacturing plant, burning it to the ground. Business halted, but the hardest part was not just losing the building.
“What are we going to do?” Mark asked his parents, realizing how devastating it would be for their long-term employees and the 200 CODI special-needs wickers who would be out of work.
The workers who taught Mark what matters most
Mark helped Tony and Susan call their suppliers, secure a temporary location and reopen in just 27 days.
Today, A Cheerful Giver sells candles in more than 7,000 retail locations across the U.S. and in 14 countries around the globe.
“The transformation of our special-needs team is part of what gets me every time,” 27-year-old Mark said. “When I visit the facility, they light up, showing me their work. Many of them tell their families about ‘their candles’ when they see them on store shelves. While many men my age are chasing titles and numbers, what I’ve learned is that life is a gift. The adults who wick our candles taught me that. They show up with more joy than anyone I know, and they remind me what actually matters: to be a cheerful giver no matter what.”
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