Quartz Fowler took her first steps into entrepreneurship at last year’s Youth Makers Expo in Sarnia.
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“Last year was kind of my first shot at vending anything, other than Girl Guide cookies,” said the 22-year-old personal support worker, on medical leave.
“I was definitely getting my foot in the door for experience,” Fowler said.
This year, the returning vendor was one of 36 youth, ages eight to 24, taking part in the second annual Ontario Trillium Foundation-funded expo for youth makers, designed to give youngsters exposure and a chance to make community connections, organizers said.
Fowler, from Sarnia, is behind QuartzMoonchild Creations.
She takes old and used candles she gets from garage sales, thrift stores and from people she knows, and melts them into new ones, she said, noting she’s also created jewelry, she said.
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“Creating things has gotten me through a lot of tough times,” she said.
She called the free space for youth to ply their creations a great opportunity for youth makers.
“A lot of venues and events that have vendors like this, they charge like $100, $500 just for a table, which is kind of ridiculous,” she said.
“So this is a lot more affordable for young people who don’t really have other jobs.”
Hopes are to continue it in years to come, but how isn’t yet clear, said Sarah McCann, business manager with Sarnia-Lambton Rebound, which hosted the expo at St. Luke’s Church Saturday.
The $200,000 in Trillium funding that paid for two expos, hiring a researcher to update other Rebound programs, conducting surveysand other expenses, runs out this year, she said, after it was awarded to help with youth community connection in the fallout of the COVID-19 pandemic.
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Hopes are that grants, sponsorships, or fundraising could pay for another expo in 2025, she said, estimating the cost at around $10,000.
“Which is I think attainable for us,” she said.
Rebound does nothing by organizing and hosting the expo, she said, and people Saturday were also welcomed to check out Rebounds offices, next door to the church, and learn about its programs.
“Basically people are able to kind of showcase their products that they’ve made throughout the year,” said Sami Kameka, another Rebound spokesperson.
“This is a free opportunity for them to come here, sell their stuff, get their name out in the public.”
It’s also an opportunity to build community, said Rebound’s Nicole Elliott.
“To work together, meet each other — they’re all like-minded — help each other out,” she said.
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