NAGS HEAD, N.C. — It's hard to miss a Hotline thrift store around the Outer Banks, but for decades, it's been about much more than a thrift store. The organization is rebranding to Hotline Outer Banks, wanting every person to know the minute they walk through the doors and purchase something, they are supporting something much bigger.
"I will never forget walking in through the doors and just feeling my body completely shaking of the unknown," said Jharixa Pugh, the owner of Huanchaco Lounge and a domestic violence survivor.
Pugh has been through a tremendous journey to get to where she is today as a business owner with a family. Pugh is a survivor of domestic violence, and that was how she described the day she walked through the doors of Hotline to get help. The organization has been alongside her since that day.
"One of the scariest things I've done, but it turned out to be the best thing I could have done for myself," said Pugh.
Many Outer Banks neighbors and visitors know about Hotline's thrift stores, but the history of the organization goes back to 1980.
"We've been here since 1980. We started as just a small group of volunteers answering a crisis line upstairs in the Methodist Church, and we have since morphed into a full service client services, domestic violence, sexual assault, and human trafficking agency," said Bronwyn Thornton, the executive director of Hotline Outer Banks.
Thornton shares a personal story from years ago that helped push for the rebrand and reinforce their true mission.
"When I first started about five years ago, I'd say, oh, I'm the executive director of Hotline, and everybody would say, well, what store do you work in? It made me realize that there was a disconnect in the community between the hotline and our true mission and our purpose for what we do here and our thrift stores," said Thornton.
Thornton said their mission now is to raise awareness of their true purpose. She continued by saying that during the summer tourism season, they have more people contacting them.
"Every year we have somebody, a college student or somebody that's down here with their friends, family, and the situation goes sideways, and they end up contacting us, either through law enforcement or just through our crisis line."
Neighbors and visitors might not even know this is an issue in the community, and Hotline Outer Banks wants that to change.
"People always think, oh, human trafficking or domestic violence, that happens only in like these neighborhoods. Well, it doesn't. Last year, over 50% of our domestic violence clients had a degree beyond a bachelor's," said Thornton.
What Hotline Outer Banks hopes this rebranding does is help people understand what their support can do for survivors. That includes being there with survivors during court cases, providing a safe house if needed, education and outreach, and any support services they need.
"We're there beside survivors every single step of the way. We'll walk through the journey with them, hand in hand, as a source of comfort, as a source of guidance, as an advocate," said Thornton.
For survivors like Pugh, she hopes anyone facing this challenge sees that there is hope.
"I want more people to see that it is possible," said Pugh.
For Pugh, it's been freeing to share her story and let people know they too can get through this. Her hope is to continue connecting with youth in the Outer Banks to help educate them on these issues.
Anyone experiencing domestic violence or sexual assault can call Hotline Outer Banks' 24/7 crisis hotline at (252) 473-3366.
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