Rooted and Giving Back
Autumn Laurel was not built in isolation.
It was built inside a community — shaped by its people, sustained by its networks, and accountable to its future.
Every candle we pour is an act of place. The Blue Ridge ridgelines, the hollers, the seasons that shift slowly over Appalachia — these are not a backdrop. They are the source. And because this land and its people give so much to what we make, we believe what we make should give something back.
Below are the organizations and communities we are proud to stand beside — not as a marketing gesture, but as a matter of who we are.
Huddle Up Moms
Supporting Mothers Across Southwest Virginia
What we make is meant to do more than fill a room.
It is meant to carry care beyond it.
Autumn Laurel was built on a simple belief: what we create should reach further than ourselves. As a maker of Virginia candles that give back, we commit 5% of our net profits to Huddle Up Moms, supporting mothers and families through tangible, ongoing care.
This is not an added feature of the business.
It is part of its foundation.
Huddle Up Moms walks alongside mothers and families with consistency, dignity, and practical support. Based in Roanoke and serving families across Southwest Virginia — the same region that inspires everything we make — their work is not abstract. It meets people where they are, in moments that require presence, steadiness, and care. Through direct outreach and community connection, they help carry burdens that are often unseen but deeply felt.
Their mission reflects something we hold close: no one should feel alone in their hardest moments.
Our Commitment
Five percent of our net profits are given to Huddle Up Moms. Not occasionally. Not when it is convenient. As an ongoing commitment. Every candle poured, every order prepared, and every market we step into contributes to that work.
This is not a seasonal campaign. It is a standing promise.
When you bring Autumn Laurel into your home, you help:
- Support mothers in difficult seasons
- Strengthen families through steady, local care
- Provide resources where they are needed most
It is not a grand gesture. It is a faithful one.
To learn more or support directly, visit huddleupmoms.org.
The Advancement Foundation
Igniting Opportunity for Rural Entrepreneurs
Autumn Laurel exists because someone believed a small-batch candle business rooted in Appalachian heritage was worth building. The Advancement Foundation exists to make sure more people in rural Virginia get that same chance.
Based in Buena Vista, Virginia, The Advancement Foundation is a nonprofit whose mission is to create bold opportunities that ignite economic prosperity and equality for rural communities. Through programs like The Gauntlet — Virginia's largest business competition — a mentor network of over 250 community leaders, shared commercial kitchen space, and hands-on business acceleration services, they give Appalachian entrepreneurs a real, practical path forward.
We are proud to be actively involved with The Advancement Foundation — not as a distant donor, but as a participant in the work. Their belief that rural communities deserve the same entrepreneurial infrastructure as anywhere else in the country is one we share deeply.
To learn more, visit theadvancementfoundation.org.
Junction 245
Find Us in Buena Vista
You can find Autumn Laurel candles on the shelves at Junction 245 — a cooperative marketplace inside the Virginia Innovation Accelerator at 245 W. 21st Street in Buena Vista, Virginia.
Housed in a beautifully restored historic factory along the Maury River, Junction 245 is home to makers, artisans, and small businesses building something real in the heart of the Shenandoah Valley. It is powered by The Advancement Foundation and designed to give Appalachian entrepreneurs an immersive, supported space to grow their brands, refine their products, and connect with a wider community.
Walking into Junction 245 is walking into what economic renewal looks like when it is done with care — old industry transformed into new possibility, one small business at a time.
We are honored to be part of it.
Visit us:
Junction 245 Marketplace
245 W. 21st Street, Buena Vista, VA 24416
Tuesday – Friday: 10am – 6pm
Saturday: 10am – 5pm
Learn more at acceleratevirginia.com.
Appalachian Regional Commission
Investing in the Region That Inspires Us
Everything Autumn Laurel makes is rooted in Appalachia — its landscapes, its heritage, its rhythms. The Appalachian Regional Commission (ARC) is the federal-state partnership that has been investing in the economic and community development of this region since 1965.
ARC serves 25 counties and eight independent cities in Virginia — including Montgomery County, where Autumn Laurel is hand-poured in Christiansburg. Their investments touch heritage and cultural tourism, small business development, workforce training, and broadband access — the unglamorous, essential infrastructure that allows communities like ours to grow without losing what makes them worth growing.
As a brand built entirely on Appalachian identity, we believe it matters to name and champion the work being done to sustain this region. Autumn Laurel is a product of this place. ARC helps ensure this place has a future.
To learn more about ARC's work in Virginia, visit arc.gov.
Hand-poured in the Blue Ridge Mountains.
Given with intention. Carried with purpose.