Endless Possibilities

I bought this handbag at a shop called Endless Possibilities in Manteo, NC. Every item sold at this shop supports the Outer Banks Hotline Crisis and Prevention Center. Here’s what the tag says:

Hotline is a nonprofit organization that provides advocacy and service to victims of domestic violence, sexual assault, and people with AIDS. Our funding comes in large part from thrift stores. Discarded fabric from the shops is woven into beautiful handcrafted items. Our weavers are primarily volunteers who like the idea of “giving new life and a second chance” to items that others may choose to pass over or pass by. In Hotline’s mission of serving people, there are no throw-aways. The recycled weaving project is a nice echo of that mission.

The shop had a unique feel to it, at least in my realm of experience. It was almost more like a workshop than a store. I think the weavers were giving lessons while we were there. We had to interrupt them in order to checkout.

The items for sale at the shop had a fanciful quality—like they had their own ethnicity—the product of artisans from the land of Hand-Me-Down.

I think the shop is a great idea. It combines the desire to do good with the desire for craftiness, creativity, and whimsy (for the weavers and the customers).

I’ve searched for a web site and haven’t had any luck. Here is the contact information on the tag: