Save my Family Business

The Brown Family has been in the U.S.since 1700' and in Arden, N.C.  90 + years.   We are Southern Traditional Folk Potters. That means each generation learns from the previous generation . Now we are 11 generations. We still continue Traditions, Tools, and other memoralbilia as well. Our ancestors blood , sweat, and tears are entertwined into my hands and every part of my existance. I can not Imagine not doing pottery and working at my wheel.  In 2000, We had to remodel inside and out as it was falling down around us  and needed to be brought up to utility codes. That put a hefty mortgage on the building as it was like building a new building due to all of the structural and roof repair.   Life and taking care of parents found us refinancing ourselves into a refinancial hole and would happily do it again.   In the downward spiral we lost slowly, first the life and health insurance , our assets, our house, and now we are down to the savored pieces of family pottery.   We are in need of equipment and clay and supplies to be able to continue.     Now the shop is all we have left with my family(wife and 2 boys) and a  God given talent and our heritage .The shop  is our home with no where else to go and very little family left. I can  not afford help so I swallow my pride and say"Deeply any help would be  truly and  humbly appreciated".           "The Brown Family"