Nearly three years after its founding, WakeUp Carolina is on the heels of fulfilling a critical community need — building a permanent location for Creighton’s House, a home for teens in substance abuse recovery. WakeUp Carolina Founder and CEO Nanci Steadman Shipman, whose son Creighton overdosed days after leaving rehab in July 2016, plans to create this safe, transitional space in her son’s memory and as Shipman states, “to ensure that every person and family suffering from the disease of addiction has a place to get help.” Creighton’s House location will be determined by donations, both monetary and in-kind.
WakeUp Carolina is rolling out its “Giving Hope” campaign, aiming to raise funds for the construction of a permanent, dedicated recovery community center, known as Creighton’s House. Community advocates for addiction recovery programs and local partners like Yarborough Applegate, which recently gave a generous $10,000 donation, help to make this possible.
David Yarborough, a plaintiff attorney and co-founding partner at Yarborough Applegate in downtown Charleston, grew up with Shipman in Mount Pleasant. Like Creighton, David struggled with addiction as a teenager. Had he not been introduced to a recovery program at the age of 17, David and Creighton’s stories could have had the same tragic ending. Thirty years later, Yarborough leapt at the opportunity to not only support a lifelong friend, but to give to a cause that he so passionately advocates for, through his own ongoing recovery and the work of his firm.
“Yarborough Applegate is squarely focused on building a healthier, safer community. Our mission is parallel to WakeUp Carolina’s. We are driven to help those whose lives have gotten off track. We provide counsel, resources, and tools that allow our clients to move forward and cope with their adversity,” Yarborough shared. “We hope to inspire others to join us in financially supporting WakeUp Carolina on an ongoing basis.”
Yarborough believes in the power of alcoholism and addiction education, awareness, and recovery programs for both individuals and families. He is also a living testament to the effectiveness of recovery programs like those provided by WakeUp Carolina. Yarborough serves as an Advisory Board Member for WakeUp Carolina, with an emphasis on fundraising. He adds, “Alcoholism and addiction are recognized diseases that are not shameful, or a result of personal weakness. The willingness to ask for help is the key to recovery. For those who feel like they are alone with nowhere to turn, it is critical to have a support community.”
When reflecting on the last few years of her life and work through WakeUp Carolina, Shipman is overwhelmed with gratitude for the Charleston community, who graciously embraced her family’s cause. “The ‘groundswell’ of support, and the growing numbers of teenagers and families who attend community meetings in need of help and resources is a testament to how important the WakeUp Carolina mission is to the Lowcountry,” shares Shipman.
“Creighton was a very bright kid, who had an amazing perspective on life. Upon entering rehab, he asked us to share his story with everyone — our community, our family, our friends. He knew that he needed as much love and support as possible to recover. When he passed, my daughter encouraged me to continue sharing his story. No person or family should ever have to suffer in silence, or suffer alone.”
Thanks to donations like that of Yarborough Applegate’s, WakeUp Carolina will continue to offer community programming in the coming months:
- Teen and Young Adult All Recovery Meetings (Weekly)
- Recovery Coaching and Meetings (June and July)
- Recovery Pathway Focus Weekly Meeting: The First 146
- Community Overdose Prevention & Narcan Training
- Community Awareness & Education Outreach Events
- Job training and GED workshops for teens in recovery
- Full calendar and details here
To participate in these programs, or to get involved with WakeUp Carolina and Creighton’s House, please visit wakeupcarolina.orgor contact Nanci Shipman at [email protected]. To learn more about Yarborough Applegate’s community involvement, visit yarboroughapplegate.com.
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.
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.
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.
Yarborough Applegate is proud to support statewide innovation by contributing to South Carolina Research Authority’s (SCRA) Industry Partnership Fund.
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.