Humble beginnings

Prodigal Pottery started with the donations of a house and thousands of pieces of bisque pottery and supplies.

The Church of the Good Shepherd in Chelsea donated a house it owned on King’s Home Drive to the program. Around the same time, the daughter of a woman who had run a pottery business in Alabama donated her mother’s pottery supplies and $25,000 front-loading kiln to the program after she passed away suddenly.

The program was launched as King’s Home’s Art Ceramics Program, also known as “The Potter’s Hands.”

Originally, 50 percent of the program was aimed at art therapy sessions for youth, and 50 percent was geared toward jobs for women at the home, Ankenbrandt said. Though youth programs continue, Prodigal Pottery consumes most of the program’s resources.

“It took off like we didn’t have any anticipation for,” Ankenbrandt said of Prodigal Pottery. “It sort of exploded.”

‘Not really like work’

Ankenbrandt hired three full-time staff members this past year and, additionally, employs four to six part-time staff at a time.

Tosha Lyles, 27, is Ankenbrandt’s assistant. Lyles started working at Prodigal Pottery in March 2015 and became a full-time employee in April.

“This whole establishment has been a godsend,” Lyles said. “It has been a blessing to me.”

The program has helped Lyles gain independence. She moved into one of the home’s transitional apartments two months ago and lives alone, a “big step” for her, she said. She also purchased a car recently.

“Being here is what you make of it,” Lyles said. “This is our family. We would do anything for each other.”

Lyles described Ankenbrandt as “a great person with a wonderful heart” with a passion for the program.

“It’s not really like work,” Grady said. “We have a good time, but we work. We all love it so much.”

Grady enjoys the creative aspect of the job, describing it as “therapy.”

“I’m just really grateful for the opportunity to be here because it’s really for a good cause,” Grady said. “The King’s Home has saved my life.”