The local maker community is a close-knit group, one that continually supports each other year round. They can often be seen offering their products at various local markets or in select shops in the area.
A sudden medical emergency involving her four-year-old son would have resulted in Jenna Scheller, owner-operator of Hippie Mama Gifts, having to close her shop during one of the most important weeks of the year for any business, the week before Christmas.
But a group of 10 local makers, led by Brianne Lytwyn of B and C Boutique and Cynthia Dawidowich of Welcome Home Cleaning Service, offered to run the shop, while Scheller tended to her son.
Upon hearing about Scheller’s son, Lytwyn reached out to other local makers, all of whom have their products for sale in Hippie Mama Gifts, located at 119 Main Street North, next door to CIBC.
Lytwyn said Scheller initially resisted the offer.
“She told me multiple times not to do this, because she knows we’re all busy and didn’t want this much given to her. But we pushed back and forced ourselves onto her to help out,” she said. “We had all the makers pick up shifts. We had the help of Cynthia. She made sure we could get in the shop and she cleaned it up for us. And we all just picked up our shifts and learned the store. It was a great time. Every maker that I talked to loved it. It was some of the best times. The customers were amazing and the shop is so friendly and opening and so safe and warm and friendly. It just felt really good.”
Scheller continued to work from home in order to keep the shelves stocked with her products, while the makers manned the shop during the week.
Amy Thompson of Amy Rae Maker also helped in the shop and said the week went well, adding it was a learning experience.
“It was a lot of fun just to be in the shop and see that side of the business and how much work that Jenna puts in. We were joking, it took four of us in one day to do what Jenna does on her own. So it was really neat to see the other side of the business that you don’t necessarily see and all the work that she puts into it,” she said. “It was very eye opening how much goes into that side, behind the scenes.”
While they did it to help a friend in need, it also gave the makers a chance to give back to Scheller because of the support she has given them by selling their products in her shop.
“We’ve become friends through our businesses and it’s kind of like a little family that we have going on. So there’s no question that we wouldn’t help anybody who needs it,” Thompson said.
As a business owner, Scheller is well aware of how important the Christmas season is for businesses, big or small, and how heavily they rely on and are impacted by sales at that time of year.
“These sales not only sustain most of us through the slower January and February months, but also allow us the ability to upgrade, update and expand our businesses in the new year,” she said.
When she thought she would have to close the shop the week before Christmas while tending to her son, Scheller was “crushed.”
But less than 24 hours later, Lytwyn reached out to Scheller and explained about the group of makers and what they had planned.
“I can’t say I believed in the term ‘Christmas miracle’ until these amazing humans banded together and made one happen. These ladies and gentlemen not only kept the shop open through the week before Christmas, they greeted customers with a smile, kept a log book, let me know what I needed to create that evening and even left little encouraging notes,” Scheller said. “I have no words to express how much their actions meant to me. My only hope is our little maker community continues to work together, promote each other and grow stronger with each passing year.”
