A Vision for Recovery: The Story Behind the Purple Recovery Empowerment Project

By: Amanda McDanel

In a tourism-driven community like the Outer Banks—where many people work in one of the three Rs: real estate, retail, or restaurants, where deals are made over lunch, and where social life often revolves around bars and cocktails served from sun-up to sundown—it can be especially challenging for someone in recovery to live and thrive.

After going through addiction treatment and rehabilitation, Outer Banks resident and business owner Aaron Beresin knows this struggle all too well.  In 2018, Aaron had his first experience going through a treatment facility for substance use. While his experience was good, he was surprised to find the amount of assistance he received when treatment was over—there was none.

“Recovery, for me, has never been a straight line,” said Beresin. “It’s been difficult, beautiful, and full of tests. There have been times, even with all the work I do, that I have felt alone. What’s helped me, and so many others I’ve met in recovery rooms, is connection.” 

In 2024, with the support of his mother, Debra, Beresin started the Purple Recovery Empowerment Project (PREP), which is a 501(c)3 nonprofit that specializes in providing people recovering from substance use disorder with essential financial aid and therapeutic services to facilitate their healing and successful rehabilitation.

“I started this work because I’ve seen what happens after treatment — when people are left to figure it out alone,” said Beresin. “When someone reenters their life from either an addiction treatment facility or correctional institute, there are several barriers to entry that individuals often face. They may return to a housing situation where there is continued drug abuse, they may need dental procedures to boost their confidence and correct the effects of long-term opioid abuse, or it could simply be transportation to a job interview or a newly acquired position. While there are treatment facilities and recovery meetings available, it’s the ‘in-between’ times and resources that are lacking in our community, and that is where we see the Purple Recovery Empowerment Project stepping in.” 

To further their nonprofit’s efforts, Beresin and his mother recently established the Purple Recovery Empowerment Project Fund with the Outer Banks Community Foundation (OBCF). The donor-advised fund will make grants to nonprofit organizations that lessen the financial burden of the lower-income, distressed, or underprivileged to assist in their recovery from addiction. 

“Aaron’s story is powerful because it’s grounded in lived experience, deep empathy, and a clear desire to build something lasting for our community,” said Community Foundation CEO Chris Sawin. “The Purple Recovery Empowerment Project Fund is an inspiring example of how a donor-advised fund can be a launchpad for change. At the Community Foundation, we’re honored to help Aaron and his supporters take the first steps toward building a more supportive and recovery-friendly Outer Banks.”

This year, Beresin has taken the first steps in fulfilling the mission of PREP. He has created Step Into Strength, an initiative that provides free gym memberships and wellness classes to individuals in recovery, and has partnered with Outer Banks Sports Club on this project.

“This initiative reflects our belief that recovery must address the whole person—physical, emotional, and social,” said Beresin. “Fitness has also been a major part of my journey, and by integrating movement, mindfulness, and community, we help reduce isolation and build confidence. It supports our mission to ease the psychosocial burdens that often challenge long-term healing.”

Even his business, Corolla Beach Services, is tied into the nonprofit. 

On a bluebird summer day in Corolla, you’ll find sets of bright purple tents dotting the landscape of happy beachgoers. Families gathered under the purple shaded structures are perched in sturdy wooden beach chairs, surrounded by coolers filled with ice and refreshments, and a game of corn hole resumes on brightly colored wooden boards. Nearby children gather for a snack on purple sand-proof tarps, which have been expertly positioned to be in the view of both the waves and the parents’ sightline. Families are relaxed, happy, and enjoying their vacation to the fullest, thanks to Beresin and his team at Corolla Beach Services. 

While building his quiver of commercial quality tents, wooden beach chairs, umbrellas, coolers, corn hole boards, beach games, and other recreational equipment, branding was critical so his company could be easily identified along the beaches and through word of mouth. Instead of a seaside blue, Beresin chose purple. “It is a color that symbolizes the strength it takes to change one’s life, a symbol I’ve been able to hold onto since January of 2023, the last time I abused drugs,” he said. 

“Running Corolla Beach Services has taught me how to show up for people, regardless of how I’m feeling,” said Beresin. “Both are about creating ease in someone else’s life. The business gave me the tools and the understanding that everything takes time. I learned how to stay attached to the process without being attached to the result. I’ve learned how to build systems, lead a team, and meet people where they are.”

But, even with running a successful business, starting a nonprofit, and creating a donor-advised fund with the Community Foundation, Beresin has big dreams on the horizon for PREP.

“Our long-term goal is to open a sober hub in Dare County—a centralized space offering peer support, social activities, community, and mental health resources,” said Beresin.

Research shows recovery community centers like this lead to better outcomes, including higher recovery capital and reduced relapse rates (Journal of Substance Abuse Treatment, 2019). 

Beresin knows if he builds it, they will come. “I envision a space for recreational activities and social gatherings,” said Beresin. “I want it to be somewhere we can watch football on Sundays or just hang out after work. I also want to use it as a place to help advance the lives of those who attend with workshops, job searches, a small tech center, and other activities that foster community.”

“Environments where people feel seen, supported, and part of something are vital,” said Beresin. “That’s what I want to build. When I am not active or working toward something, I can lose myself very easily. Everything I want for Purple Recovery comes out of my own experiences and what I have seen working in others.”

To learn more about the Purple Recovery Empowerment Project, visit www.purplerecovery.org.

It has never been easier for you to make a real impact in our community! At the Outer Banks Community Foundation, there are countless ways to get involved in philanthropy, and one of the simplest and most effective is by creating a donor-advised fund. Start your journey today and make a lasting difference in the lives of those around us.

About the Outer Banks Community Foundation: The Outer Banks Community Foundation is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization committed to fostering philanthropy and supporting local causes. Through its charitable funds and grant programs, the Foundation strives to enrich the quality of life for residents of the Outer Banks.