Yarborough Applegate is thrilled to continue our support of WakeUp Carolina, a Charleston, South Carolina-based organization that offers resources and support for individuals and families facing addiction and substance abuse disorder at no cost to them. A recent $20,000 donation from the firm will allow WakeUp Carolina to expand its young adult program—a major victory following a year of unprecedented challenges due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Nanci Steadman Shipman founded WakeUp Carolina four years ago, after seeing firsthand the critical need for awareness, education, and recovery resources and support for those struggling with addiction and substance abuse disorder—as well as for their families. Her son, Creighton, overdosed days after leaving rehab in July 2016. The tragic event left its mark on Shipman in the form of a new personal mission: To do everything in her power to help other families avoid such a loss.
“At Yarborough Applegate, we’re driven by a desire to stand up and do the right thing for people who have suffered an injury or loss. Simply put, our business model is based on helping people, says David Yarborough, a plaintiff attorney and co-founding partner at Yarborough Applegate in Charleston. “In many ways, our mission works hand-in-hand with that of WakeUp Carolina.”
Young adults come to WakeUp Carolina for personal, substance-free connections, Shipman says, noting that some drive from more than an hour away for the support. “We offer them an open door, a safe space. We offer them the opportunity to surround themselves with other young people—without relying on substances.”
“We wouldn’t be here without people like David Yarborough and Yarborough Applegate, who are truly committed to our mission of service.”
The impacts of COVID-19 on those struggling with addiction and substance abuse disorder have heightened the demand for WakeUp Carolina’s services in the local community. Across the last year, the organization saw the need for its services grow 1,250 percent, Shipman says. At the same time, spring and summer shutdowns prompted the nonprofit to cancel their two major annual fundraisers. “My heart was heavy because people come here for support services, resources, and tools, and without our fundraising, I didn’t know how we were going to be able to do it this year,” she says.
For all of these reasons, Yarborough Applegate’s donation couldn’t have come at a better time. “We wouldn’t be here without people like David Yarborough and Yarborough Applegate, who are truly committed to our mission of service,” Shipman says.
For Yarborough, it’s all about spreading the word about the organization. “We want parents who have lost children to addiction and substance abuse disorder to know WakeUp Carolina exists. We want teens and young people to know a place to go hang out—without drugs or alcohol present—exists.”
For more information about the resources WakeUp Carolina has to offer, or to get involved with the organization, click here.
Yarborough Applegate’s David Yarborough was the keynote speaker of the event, which raised $65,000 for the Charleston-area organization.
As we savor the final days of 2021, we wanted to take a moment and revisit some of the year’s defining movements for our team here at Yarborough Applegate, and extend our deepest gratitude to all those who we’ve had the honor of working with along the way.
As 2022 came to a close, we had the pleasure of attending WakeUp Carolina’s annual fundraising breakfast, where the nonprofit sets the stage for the next year of operations and growth.
Yarborough Applegate is proud to support the Dee Norton Child Advocacy Center, a nonprofit with a mission of preventing abuse, protecting children, and healing families.
Our attorneys will take the lead on educating our peers on what we’ve learned from handling dram shop cases through a series of continuing education opportunities.
Yarborough Applegate is proud to support statewide innovation by contributing to South Carolina Research Authority’s (SCRA) Industry Partnership Fund.