LI Shop Owner Needs Help To Survive Pandemic: 'This Is Humbling'

GREENPORT, NY — For many small business owners and artists, the pandemic has dealt a heavy blow. Unsure if she can survive the summer season without help, Donya O'Brien, a single mom and the artist and owner of the Metal Monk in Greenport, is reaching out for help to keep her business afloat — and help other artisans.

To that end, O'Brien has created a GoFundMe page, "Save the Metal Monsters! Metal Monk— Greenport" to help her move forward and to enable her to purchase inventory from other artists, as well.

The shop, located at 15 Front Street, showcases not only her jewelry creations but the work of others O'Brien has met over the years doing trade shows for products made in the United States.

O'Brien believes local artisans have been at disadvantage, having to compete with inexpensive imports that were hurting the wholesale USA-made artisan market for years.

But, she said, "Covid really did it."

While her retail shop in Greenport has remained afloat, the struggle is ongoing, O'Brien said. "I've been at this for 20-plus years with a mortage to pay."

O'Brien said she is "humbly requesting $100,000 to get us to our summer season. We have an uphill battle, like so many small businesses."

That amount would include six months' rent, $50,000 for merchandise and orders to U.S. artisans and colleagues who are also struggling, and $15,000 for summer help, O'Brien said.

"We need to increase retail $100,000 minimum above our best year ever, 2020, if we're to bare-bones cover overhead with little wholesale and web business," she said. "I'm not wasting your time — I know we can do it. It might take 18 months to bounce back once the scourge of Covid is no more, but we'll bounce. I feel it."

If she is blessed and somehow surpasses her fundraising goal, O'Brien said: "I'll probably cry — then put it to work. Update the website, build our online social presence, and put some more USA artisans to work. You're putting not just me, but them to work, as well."

Any donation, even $10, is gratefully accepted, she said. "Let's do this!" she added.

To donate to the GoFundMe, click here.

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