Vancouver Pride season takes places in July and August, but it’s Pride Month this month in Canada and the U.S.

Accordingly, some local businesses are getting in on the act, including raising funds for local organizations that offer a helping hand to queer people in need.

Aglow with Pride

A Vancouver candle studio is offering a new way to light up your home with Pride—and has illuminated a new spin on the gay bear.

Ernesto’s Candles has created a limited edition collection of rainbow Selfcare Bears wax melts, using natural, non-toxic, and sustainable soy wax. They’re all handmade in small batches and are pet-friendly.

The bears are scented with bergamot and seagrass, with a base of amber and musk along with light notes of jasmine and lily.

"The intention of our Selfcare Bears is to spark conversations and serve as a gentle reminder to love yourself and practise selfcare,” Ernesto’s Candles founder Sharon Lee says.

The bears, available until June 30, come in variety of colours and are customizable for other LGBT+ flags including trans and asexual flags. A box of 13 bears (4.5 ounces) is $23 and they're available online.

Pride products to help refugees

Coho Commissary is showing its true colours by supporting queer-owned businesses.

During Pride Month, Coho Market and Coho Coffee is donating five percent of sales of products from queer-owned businesses to Rainbow Refugee, which helps refugees in Canada who have faced persecution for their sexual orientation, gender identity, or HIV status.

All products made by queer-run businesses are featured in a special Pride category, and include everything from croissants, chia puddings, and cookies to breads and broths.

There are even rainbow macarons ($15) from Sweet 'n' Sassy Patisserie.

Full details are available at the Coho website.

Other upcoming food-related LGBT events include two fundraisers for the Dr. Peter Centre: a cooking demonstration by In My Kitchen for Persian vegetarian dishes, and the annual Pride Cocktail Kickoff on July 22.

Helping at-risk youth

A Canadian home décor chain is offering digital art for free during Pride Month that can help brighten up spaces—while also supporting an organization that provides rays of hope for youth struggling to find a safe place somewhere over the rainbow.

For every download of either of the two Pride-inspired designs from the Urban Barn website, the company will donate $1 to Covenant House Vancouver to support homeless at-risk and LGBT+ youth (up to a maximum of $5,000).    

Covenant House Vancouver helps street youth aged 16 to 24 who have fled physical, psychological, emotional or sexual abuse; had to leave home due to substance abuse by family members; have been forced to leave home; have experienced human trafficking; or have aged out of foster care.

Covenant House Vancouver operates two programs, one for female-identified youth (1302 Seymour Street) and the other for male-identified youth (325 Pender Street).

For more information, visit the Covenant House Vancouver website.