'Something you can't get anywhere else': Gathering Gallery gift shop opens in downtown Raleigh

It's been more than a year since Erica Heilmann sold her house in Cary and moved to downtown Raleigh to open an eclectic gift shop with a special mission.

Gathering Gallery opened on Black Friday in 2021 in the former Briggs Hardware space at 111 E. Hargett St. Heilmann, an experienced Wake County Public Schools teacher, said she needed a change after years in the classroom.

With support from family and friends, she realized her dream to open a business that would employ people with intellectual disabilities.

"I needed to come up with something that would make me as fulfilled as I was when I was teaching," she said.

It took six months from idea to opening. Heilmann said she walked past the empty storefront one day and something just felt right about the space.

Gathering Gallery is packed with fair-trade products and items from veteran-owned, women-owned and small, niche brands. It's the perfect place to find a gift for that person on your list who is difficult to shop for.

Heilmann, who broke into the small business world reselling vintage items during the COVID-19 pandemic, jokingly calls herself a professional shopper.

"The goal is to have something for everybody in here and something you can't get anywhere else," Heilmann said. "I make sure I pay attention to what other people are selling ... so I'm not carrying what other people have. I am very picky about what I carry."

One of Heilmann's favorite brands Gathering Gallery carries is Designed for Joy, a Raleigh nonprofit that employs women in vulnerable situations at fair wages to make purses, jewelry, Charcuterie boards and more.

Other top sellers are a hot sauce made in South Carolina and a collection of sewn ornaments featuring different historical and pop figures -- everyone from Elvis and The Beatles to Benjamin Franklin.

Heilmann loves being beside Read With Me, a children's bookstore, and close to A Place at the Table, a pay-what-you-can restaurant.

Gathering Gallery is located directly across from the bus station, and Heilmann said she has a front seat to homelessness. When people come to her for help, she is able to give them resources and direct them to A Place at the Table, where they can get a free meal.

"That's been one of the most striking things about having a business downtown," Heilmann said. "I am constantly thinking about how I can make an impact."

Heilmann designed Gathering Gallery to be thoughtful in every way, including the size of her aisles, which are large enough for wheelchairs, strollers and dogs. Heilmann even hides googly eyes around the store for small children to find so they have something to do while their parents shop.

She's committed to diversity, from the staff she hires to the products she sells.

"Every single detail, I am thinking about what is a way that I can connect to the community so we can all come together," Heilmann said.

Recently, she hosted a free Black Santa event, where Santa read a story to children inside Read With Me then visited and took photos inside Gathering Gallery.

"It was even better than I imagined. I got teared up so many times watching little kids and even adults see him," Heilmann said.

She has embraced her neighborhood and hopes to see more small businesses.

"This is a really great place to open a small business," Heilmann said. "There's really a great focus on keeping things local, with small businesses up and down the street, but everybody has to work together for that to happen."

Gathering Gallery is open Wednesday through Sunday. Check out the website, Instagram and Facebook.