You asked and we have answered! If you have questions that we missed, the comments section would be a great place to add them and someone will answer as soon as possible.
What does my membership get me?
Your membership gets you access in 4-6 week periods at least once each season to the Narrow Bridge Candle store and also access to limited edition offerings, giveaways, and digital content (when capacity allows). The store offers hand-made 100% Beeswax Jewish ritual candles in support of Palestinian self-determination as well as racial justice and indigenous sovereignty on Turtle Island. Purchases in the store are in addition to your Patreon membership which grants you access to the store.
What will the cost of candles be to members?
Candles are sold on a sliding scale. All the products and their prices are listed year-round on the website. Your Patreon membership gives you access to the store and pays jonah's salary. The cost of the candles pay for the overhead/operational costs of running the business as well as the materials and support labor to create the candles themselves.
Why can’t I buy candles directly from the Narrow Bridge Candles website like before?
The previous Narrow Bridge Candle model was not sustainable for jonah. Just like small organic farmers rely on Community Supported Agriculture, we have shifted to a community supported business model that sustains this political and spiritual project as well as our rural, queer, disabled candlemaker under capitalism. Closing the store to the public and moving to membership through Patreon allows us to continue.
When will the store be open?
The store will open for a 4-6 week period at least once each season.
How will I know when the store opens?
Patreon Members will receive a message through Patreon notifying them when the store is open and they will be provided with a code that gives them access to the online store. We suggest you turn on some type of notifications through your Patreon settings so that you get the news when we send it! We strive to share information as soon as we have it about store openings. Loosely, the store will open prior to each season but also responsive to Jewish New Year and Hanukkah which are the same every year on the Hebrew Calendar but fluctuate several weeks on the Gregorian Calendar. (Spring Opening- February, Summer Opening -May, Fall Opening -August, Winter Opening October and November)
Are there limits on how much I can order?
Narrow Bridge Candles is striving to meet the candle needs of all Patreon members. jonah is planning on making a certain amount of candles for the year based on a combination of capacity and projections of the candle needs of the member base. Some items may sell out. We’ll do our best there and evaluate as we go so that jonah can make better and better projections but we can’t guarantee everyone will get all the candles they want at any given time.
Can I buy candles without a membership?
Generally no, with some exceptions in special circumstances. Narrow Bridge Candles welcomes requests for donations for social justice fundraising endeavors and support of spiritual and cultural transformation work-Jewish and non-Jewish both. jonah is also really excited about trade in the world and loves to trade candles as currency. There are occasionally offerings that make sense to offer to everyone and we will let you know through our newsletter. Please don't hesitate to reach out. e-mail [email protected]
If I have a subscription to a ritual box or recurring order do I need to support the Patreon campaign to keep it?
You are invited but not required to become a member through Patreon if you already have a recurring order or subscription. We are continuing ritual box subscriptions without Patreon membership as a thank you/courtesy to the subscribers who are already making such a big investment in Narrow Bridge Candles. We welcome any ritual box subscribers who have the desire/ability to also become sustaining members through Patreon.
Can I become a member without signing up through Patreon?
Generally no. We are trying to streamline labor and costs by consolidating members all in one place. If you want to make an annual donation outside of Patreon instead, please e-mail [email protected].
How does this new model support financial accessibility and the justice work you do?
Because we are committed to making candles available to people with different access to resources in any way we can, this is a sliding scale with many different membership levels, and the candles themselves are sold on a sliding scale.
*Look for the $3/month membership for BIPOC/JOCSM, disabled people, and folks with very low access to resources and the $1/month BIPOC membership for BIPOC/JOCSM (Black, Indigenous, People of Color/Jews of Color, Sephardi and Mizrahi Jews) of any income and resource level.
BIPOC MEMBERSHIP FUND
If you would like to donate to our BIPOC/JOCSM Membership fund, please make a one time donation in the amount of your choice through Paypal [email protected] or set up a recurring donation of any amount HERE and we will disburse the funds as $1/month BIPOC memberships (Patreon does not allow memberships less than $1). Make sure you include the note "BIPOC Membership" if you are choosing a 1 time donation.
And also just a reminder Narrow Bridge Candles has always and will continue to donate a portion of EVERY SALE to important justice work!