When the Uniform Comes Off, Service Doesn’t: How J.P. Waxington Is Fueling Action with Team Rubicon Canada 

For many veterans, leaving the military isn’t just a career change. It’s the loss of an identity. The uniform comes off, the routine disappears, and the sense of purpose that once anchored every day suddenly feels harder to find. 

Chad Kendall, founder of J.P. Waxington, was medically released from the Canadian Armed Forces nine years ago and speaks plainly about what happened after. “You don’t just leave a job,” he says. “You leave an identity.” Anxiety, uncertainty, and the question of where he fit next followed him into civilian life. What helped wasn’t some grand reinvention but rather became about finding a way to keep moving forward. 

J.P. Waxington is an Ontario-based small business that handcrafts candles with a focus on quality, intention, and community. It began as something simple and therapeutic, a way to slow the noise, focus on the work in front of him, and create something tangible. Over time, that practice grew into a small business, but its core never changed. It remained rooted in people, purpose, and community. 

That same mindset is what drew Chad to Team Rubicon Canada. 

“Team Rubicon Canada gives people, especially veterans, a way to keep serving,” Chad explains. “It’s the same mentality I came from: show up, help, don’t overcomplicate it. It’s just in a different uniform.” 

As a veteran-led humanitarian organization, Team Rubicon Canada mobilizes Greyshirts, veterans, first responders, and kick-ass civilians to support communities before, during, and after disasters. They don’t wait for perfect conditions and step into the mess to work shoulder to shoulder with communities. 

That approach resonates deeply with Chad. 

“Showing up for our community means supporting people who are actually doing the work,” he says. “Team Rubicon Canada Greyshirts don’t wait until things are easy. They show up when things are hard.” 

Through TR Canada’s cause marketing program, a portion of J.P. Waxington’s sales is donated directly to Team Rubicon Canada, turning everyday purchases into real-world impact. For Chad, it’s not about branding or optics but about action. 

“Your support turns into real help for real people in real places,” he says. “You can see the difference you’re making, and that matters.” 

Supporting Team Rubicon Canada also represents something more personal. Leaving the military forced Chad to redefine what service looked like in his life, and building a business became part of that journey. Partnering with Team Rubicon Canada became another. 

“Supporting Team Rubicon Canada keeps me connected to that part of myself that still wants to show up and help,” he reflects. “Even if the uniform is gone.” 

Cause marketing partnerships like this one matter because they bridge worlds, connecting small businesses, veterans, and everyday Canadians to action on the ground. They turn intention into fuel, and ensure Greyshirts can deploy, train, and respond when communities need them most. 

For Chad and J.P. Waxington, it’s simple. Service didn’t end. It just changed form. 

And when disaster strikes, the choice to keep showing up makes all the difference.