NANAIMO -- A Nanaimo couple is making what they call “hope stoves” out of paint cans and giving them to homeless people in the community.
The hope stove is a five-wick candle stove that will stay lit for 48 to 60 straight hours, according to its creators.
The candle stove can be used for basic cooking and as a heater.
Each costs about $5 to assemble and uses about three pounds of wax.
“It’s just to offer a little comfort to the homeless people – it’s such a huge problem right now,” says Mike Hay, co-creator of the stove. “If I can offer a little bit of warmth and comfort, every bit helps.”
Hay and his wife have created and distributed 50 stoves already for the city’s homeless.
He says the stoves are safe to use if the lid is secured to the paint can while in use. If the cans were to tip over while in use, the wax would smother the candles from doing any damage, he says.
He has also created a how-to video on YouTube to get others involved in the project. At least five people across the country are already creating them in their own communities, he says.
Hay encourages other creators to spray the inside on the can with woodstove paint for extra fire protection.
Hay is accepting candle donations through his Facebook page to continue making the hope stoves.
