About WakeUp Carolina

A Recovery Community Organization Serving The Greater Charleston, SC Area
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About Us

WakeUp Carolina is a recovery community organization (RCO) dedicated to supporting and empowering young adults, individuals, and families touched by substances. As an independent, non-profit organization led and governed by members of the local recovery community, impacted family members, and recovery allies. We are committed to advocating for recovery, raising awareness, and educating our community. Through peer-based recovery support services, outreach programs, and recovery-focused advocacy, we create a safe and welcoming space where hope thrives and recovery is possible for all. Together, we are building a stronger, unified, healthier community.

Vision & Mission

WakeUp Carolina is dedicated to fostering hope, healing and recovery for individuals, families, and communities impacted by substance use. Through peer-based support, education, and advocacy, we strive to create a safe and inclusive environment where recovery is celebrated and resources are accessible to all.

WakeUp Carolina is an independent, nonprofit, recovery community organization (RCO) promoting awareness, providing education, and hope in recovery for young adults, individuals, veterans, and families touched by substance use through collaborative community partnerships, trusted resources, and support services in Berkeley, Charleston, and Dorchester Counties.

Our Story, Our Promise

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, individual, and family and ensuring no person has to walk this journey alone.

Who We Are

Our Team & Leadership

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

Nanci Steadman Shipman
Nanci Steadman Shipman
Founder & Executive Director

Abby Foster
CARES Program Coordinator

JR Weaver
Berkeley County Programs Manager & Veteran Program Director

Lani Jumper
Community Outreach & Overdose Prevention Director

Elizabeth Szala
Berkeley County Community Outreach & Overdose Prevention

Colin Gray
CARES Recovery Coach

Jamie MacGeorge
Community Engagement & Program Support

Tanya Kramer
CARES Family Recovery Coach & Healing Hearts Moncks Corner Facilitator

Denise Snipes
Office Administrator

Chip Perkins
CARES Grants Manager
& Special Projects Coordinator

Claire Gregson
Mt. Pleasant Family Recovery Coach

Brian Conn
Mt. Pleasant Community & Youth Prevention Coordinator

Bryan Turner
Mt. Pleasant Veteran Program Coordinator

Teddy Stockwell
Healing Hearts Mt. Pleasant Facilitator

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.

Jay Thrower
Chair

Blair Martin
Vice Chair
Kathleen Hay
Treasurer
Angela Burchfield
Secretary
Nanci Steadman Shipman
Chris Mingledorff
Nanci Steadman Shipman

Nanci Steadman Shipman

Our Team

Creighton’s Story

Get Involved

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.

Turn the Tide: Join the Free Tide Turners Anchor Program on James Island

We, in partnership with the Town of James Island, are proud to present Tide Turners: Anchor Program, a 12-week community wellness experience held at Pinckney Park in Charleston, SC.

Recovery Bowl Returns August 9, 2025

Recovery Bowl Returns August 9, 2025 Football fans, mark your calendars! On Saturday, August 9,...

Narcan Saves Lives—Let’s End the Stigma Before It Costs More

We need Narcan in our homes, schools, and workplaces. We need to understand that carrying Narcan doesn’t make you a user, it makes you prepared.

Don’t Let the Bad Days Win

Here’s the truth: bad days are part of the process—not the end of it.

Breathwork in Early Recovery

While breathing is an automatic function, conscious breathwork involves changing the rhythm and depth of your breath to influence your state of mind.

Welcome Abby Foster!

Please join us in warmly welcoming Abby Foster back to the WakeUp Carolina team and celebrating the second anniversary of the Healing Hearts Gathering—a true space of compassion, remembrance, and hope.

Support Local Event for Public Safety: Honoring Lives, Building Hope, and Ending Gun Violence

Wrap Around for Public Safety, a 3K Run and Walk at Park Circle in North Charleston, is more than a community event—it’s a powerful statement of unity, purpose, and hope.

Who’s in the Driver’s Seat? What Families Can—and Can’t—Control in a Loved One’s Recovery

We often talk to families who feel they’ve tried everything—rehabs, ultimatums, support, silence. And still, the road feels unpredictable, even dangerous. Let’s explore what it means to understand your place in the journey and how to reclaim control over your side of the street.

Trap Doors & Land Mines: A Guide for Families Navigating a Loved One’s Use

Let’s talk about the trap doors and land mines—those sneaky patterns and hidden emotional triggers that can quietly sabotage progress for your loved one and you.

Reclaiming Purpose: How ‘Serving Those Who Served’ is Helping Veterans Reconnect and Heal

Through peer-led support groups, open dialogue, and shared vulnerability, veterans at STWS begin to rebuild what they lost—not just identity, but camaraderie, confidence, and direction.