Only In My Dreams Events aiming to make the spirit of giving a win-win for everyone
South Egremont — Oskar Hallig has been a staunch supporter of local nonprofits for as long as he can remember. As a child, he was part of CHP’s original playgroup — held on Great Barrington’s Main Street above the former deli — and recalls riding his trike in the annual Bike-a-Thon to raise funds for the nonprofit dedicated to bringing health care to rural children and providing support services to their families. In the ensuing decades, Hallig, who was born in Munich but raised in the Berkshires, has remained closely tethered to the nonprofit sector. In addition to sitting on the boards of Berkshire South, Berkshire Theatre Group and the Berkshire Waldorf School, he remains active in the Rotary Club of Great Barrington, where he recently served as president. This year, on the eve of Giving Tuesday, Hallig and Mike Zippel of The Shop by Only In My Dreams Events are partnering with a handful of local nonprofits to present Packs With a Purpose — with an aim to make the spirit of giving a win-win for everyone.
“I am always thinking of ways to incorporate nonprofits [in the conversation]” Hallig, whose background is in nonprofit management, told The Edge in a recent phone interview. In March, he and Zippel were forced to pivot as in-person events (the crux of their event-planning business) fell off at an alarming rate. “The main mission of these packs is to keep our business solvent while supporting as many other local businesses as possible,” said Hallig, who was forced to get creative when COVID-19 hit. The idea for Packs With a Purpose began when Hallig and Gwendolyn VanSant, of Multicultural BRIDGE, began brainstorming ways to develop a gift pack for participants in the nonprofit’s New Pathways Social Justice Conference. “We put a box together [whose contents] were mission-driven from BRIDGE” (including products from Asia Luna, ShireFire, and Smoky Diva) and the packs were a hit. “[We got] such a good response,” Hallig said, noting that he and Zippel had tested the waters prior with Party Packs — or events in a box — designed to celebrate myriad milestones from graduations and birthdays to LGBTQ+ PRIDE and wedding proposals.
“BRIDGE [was] the pioneer project/prototype for [Packs With a Purpose], but several [additional] organizations are joining,” said VanSant in a nod to the themed gift packs, specially designed with the nonprofit organization, to include a mix of their own items, items from constituents and items that reflect the organization’s mission. As to the cherry on top? Every time a pack is purchased, a donation of $25 is made to the affiliated organization. In addition to BRIDGE, Hallig and Zippel are working with three other nonprofits in the Berkshires and are expecting the trend to grow. In addition to the Restorative Justice Berkshire Pack to support BRIDGE, shoppers can choose from the Inspired By Immigrants Pack to support Berkshire Immigrant Center, the Keeping Theatre Alive Pack to support Berkshire Theatre Group and the Keeping It Local Pack to support BerkShares Inc.
“This holiday season it is critical that we as consumers put on a robust show of support for the locally-owned businesses and nonprofits in our community that have been impacted by the COVID19 pandemic,” said Rachel Moriarty, executive director of BerkShares Inc. “Our mission at BerkShares, Inc. is to promote regional economic self-reliance; and our local currency serves as a tool to support the various stakeholders in our local economy … We are grateful and proud to be featured among a great group of community-based initiatives serving our neighbors in the “Packs With A Purpose” line by Only In My Dreams Events,” she added in a recent statement. The mission at BerkShares Inc. — to promote regional economic self-reliance through a local currency that serves as a tool to support the various stakeholders in our local economy — is further evidence of the nuanced attention to detail in these partnerships.
“Nonprofits have to get creative in this challenging fundraising environment,” said Liana Toscanini of the Nonprofit Center of the Berkshires. “It’s a gift to have entrepreneurial businesses with heart like Only in My Dreams to partner with,” she added in a nod to the infrastructure for e-commerce being provided: All orders, inventory and shipping are handled by OIMD. Part of the pivot to survive included opening a retail store to continue to make their business viable while offering this valuable service to the community. In September, Hallig and Zippel opened their doors to shoppers looking for interesting, inclusive and higher-end event-related merchandise, with an emphasis on fun and Berkshire-produced gift products. Their concept, “everything you need to throw or attend a small event,” sprang from eight years in event planning. To continue their commitment to the local business landscape, The Shop has signed on as the sponsor of the Morning Challenge on WSBS radio.
As December dawns and the community looks for ways to make the holidays more meaningful, consider a stop at The Shop in South Egremont. Hallig and Zippel have figured out how to pay the rent and give back — via partnerships with nonprofits and by hosting lots of local artisans who don’t have any other way to sell their wares. “We do try to get as many local people as we can, [and we’ve] yet to turn anyone away,” he added. While tomorrow will be business as usual, Mondays and Tuesdays throughout December will be reserved for shopping by appointment for those who wish to avoid crowds; all COVID-19 safety protocols and precautions are being followed at all times. “We are hopeful for an eventual return of our core business, but in the meantime, we feel like this Shop will help get us through and even come out stronger on the other side,” said Hallig, who is hopeful that sales of these locally made products will help other businesses and nonprofits make it out the other side a little easier. “It’s a good all around win.”
