Businessman given birthday bash

The usually serene environment at Bliss Unlimited, the cozy little gift shop in the Burbank Town Center, was replaced on Friday night with a festive bash to celebrate the birthday of the enterprise's co-founder, Jose Quintanar.

Staged as a surprise party by Quintanar's partner, Linda Maxwell, the birthday boy spent the evening accepting good wishes and giving hugs to the many supporters, friends and family in attendance, while showing off the shop's eclectic goods.

If you are not familiar with Bliss Unlimited, next time you are in the mall, take the time to head on down to the Town Center's second level near Macy's where you will find this blissful respite. Opened in November of 2005, Bliss Unlimited operates as a subsidiary of We Care for Youth (WCFY), a Burbank-based nonprofit organization that was founded in 1991 by Quintanar and Maxwell.

The shop offers unique items inspired and created by young people, dedicated to the empowerment of youth, and designed to cultivate world peace. It also serves local teens who qualify for work programs and as a hands-on business academy in which they receive high school credit through the Los Angeles County Regional Opportunity Program. Since opening, Bliss Unlimited has graduated two semesters of teens, providing them real-world job training and life skills.

The concept started as a coffee brokerage operation in 1995 in which teens were trained in all aspects of gourmet coffee products and sales techniques. By 1997, it had evolved into a retail business providing corporate gift baskets. It was during that time Quintanar and Maxwell proposed a business-to-youth mentor program in which teens would be trained in job readiness.

They then developed a curriculum on small-business management that offered young people high school course credit in exchange for their work. Exceptional students were then offered the opportunity to apply for sales and management positions.