About WakeUp Carolina

A Recovery Community Organization Serving The Greater Charleston, SC Area

Our Story, Our Promise

We invite you to be a part of the awakening.

WakeUp Carolina began with a promise. A promise made to a beautiful boy by his Mother ignited our community’s desire to affect change. We honor that promise and Creighton Shipman’s memory by supporting every youth battling substance misuse and their family.

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Mission & Purpose

Strength does not come from physical capacity. It comes from an indomitable will. -Mahatma Gandhi

More than bricks and mortar, WakeUp Carolina gives wings to the belief that there should be a safe place for our community to come together and provide hope, raise awareness, and facilitate recovery for Charleston’s youth, young adults and their families. Community partners throughout the area have united to address the rising substance misuse among our youth head-on.

Our Team

Creighton’s Story

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Our Beliefs & Strategies

We are a recovery community organization (RCO), an independent, non-profit organization led and governed by representatives of our local recovery community. We organize recovery-focused advocacy activities, carry out recovery-focused community education and outreach programs, and provide peer-based recovery support services.

Building strong, grassroots organizations

that develop leaders, offer opportunities for recovering people to express their collective voice, and provide a forum for community service.

Advocating for meaningful representation

for people in long-term recovery and their family members on issues that affect their lives.

Assessing needs

related to the adequacy and quality of local treatment and recovery support services.

Educating the public & service providers

about the prevalence and multiple pathways of addiction recovery.

Developing human & fiscal resources

by expanding philanthropic and public support for addiction treatment, recovery support services, and recovery advocacy, and cultivating volunteerism within local communities of recovery.

Celebrating recovery from addiction

through public events that offer living testimony of the transformative power of recovery.

Rapid HIV Testing: Info, FAQs & Misconceptions

We offer rapid HIV testing. It is a very quick process that consists of a finger-stick blood draw, with results in as little as 60 seconds.

Fentanyl Test Strips: Info & FAQs

Distributing fentanyl test strips could reduce the risk of fatal overdoses in our community.

Testimonial: Narcan Gave Me Another Shot At Life & Recovery

I came from a great family, played sports, attended college… I was the all-American kid who turned into a broken young man.

Naloxone (Narcan) Info & FAQs Answered

Naloxone, most known by its brand name “Narcan,” is FDA approved as a medication to reverse the toxic effects of an opioid overdose.

Testimonial: Creighton’s House Was My Stepping Stone To Feeling Comfortable In the Recovery Community

Creighton’s House served as a stepping stone for me into the larger recovery community and it introduced me to a lot of awesome young people who love sobriety and recovery.

Creighton’s House Night Out

An opportunity for having fun through social, connected activities that focuses on the hope and healing found in recovery.

What Is Creighton’s House?

Creighton’s House has been able to assist many young adults in Charleston who now live substance free.

Testimonial: Siblings Group Made Me Feel Lighter

I have been able to grow and heal, and most importantly show up for my husband and our son.

What Is a Siblings Support Group?

The design of putting the focus on the sibling is because the last thing they usually get to talk about is THEMSELVES.

Testimonial: Mothers’ Gathering Taught Me To Not Be Ashamed

I came to the meeting to learn how to save my child but found so much more.

Who We Are

Our Team & Leadership

We work to demonstrate the power and promise of Recovery from addiction, and the value Recovery provides to individuals, families, and entire communities throughout the Lowcountry.

Contact Us

Nanci Steadman Shipman

Founder & Executive Director

Tim Maguire

Senior Program Director

Allen Williams

Young Adult's Program Manager

Board of Directors

Our Board of Directors consists of volunteers committed to raising awareness, education, and support for Recovery. Today, with the support of a professional staff, the Board remains dedicated to advancing our mission and guiding the continued growth of WakeUp Carolina.