MONCKS CORNER, S.C. (WCSC) - WakeUp Carolina is a nonprofit organization that offers resources to families and individuals struggling with addiction and they recently opened a facility in Berkeley County after the area saw high numbers of overdose deaths.

WakeUp Carolina is based out of Mount Pleasant, but in 2023, Berkeley County saw record high numbers of overdose deaths and the organization saw a need for change, so they opened a new facility off of East Main St in Moncks Corner in February.

WakeUp Carolina provides harm reduction resources such as NARCAN training and fentanyl test strips, as well as support groups for families and individuals dealing with addiction or suffering from loss as a result of overdose. The organization also acts as a vessel for finding resources for recovery among other efforts to improve the issue of overdose and addiction in South Carolina. WakeUp Carolina’s whole foundation is based on the idea that no family will ever have to go through loss and overdose alone. The founder of the organization lost her son to an overdose and wanted to provide support to others in every way that she could.

Dean Stephens, the Director of Development for WakeUp Carolina’s new facility says that this first month of being open could not have gone any better than they had hoped and that the community has been extremely welcoming. One thing they have said all along about this facility is that the community will dictate what goes into the space and what is needed, and Stephens says that is exactly what they have done with the furniture that is currently filling the space.

Stephens says that they plan to bring the things their Mount Pleasant location offers to Berkeley County, but they also want to hear what the community needs so they can create a safe space for the people who need it.

“We listen. And we’ll listen to what the community wants. Because for us, we’re not going to tell people what they need or what they want. We’ll sit back and listen to what they need, what they want, what they tell us, and then we’ll create programs groups, and things like that, and partnerships I think is a big word too, to create partnerships within this community to help people who may want our help,” he says.

Stephens says he believes that addiction and overdose are things that impact everybody at all levels and he is excited to create more partnerships in the community to build and grow. He says that they have already been working with the local school districts, churches and local mental health departments to expand their outreach and engage with community members, and he has high hopes for the future as these partnerships are created. They just want to create a safe space for the community.

He says it means so much to him to be a part of an organization that does so much.

“We toss around words like blessing and gratitude, and I really mean those two words when I say them here in Berkeley County that we feel like it’s a blessing that we’re here. And we’re grateful that you know, we have the resources and the tools to be able to open up these doors and share with anybody who wants to walk in these doors,” Stephens says.

To commemorate the official opening of the facility, they will be holding a ribbon-cutting ceremony Monday at 4 p.m. It will take place at their new facility at 325 E Main Street in Moncks Corner and the community is welcome to attend. This will kick off their community outreach, but Stephens says they have already been so welcoming and are excited for what’s to come.

“The community has been amazing, truly. And when people find out what we do, and the services that we provide, and the reach that we’ll have here in Berkeley County, it’s been, it’s been so welcoming,” he says. “We are here to help the individual, the family, the community.”

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MONCKS CORNER, S.C. (WCSC) - After days of planning workshops and community feedback, the town of Moncks Corner’s 2024 Comprehensive Plan draft is ready to be brought to the council.

Officials say it’s sort of like a bucket list for the town, and the more than 100-page plan boils down to addressing nine key elements: population, economic development, cultural and natural resources, community facilities, housing, land use, transportation, and resiliency.

The law requires a comprehensive plan every 10 years and to update it every five years. Moncks Corner is at the five-year mark, but decided it was time for a whole new plan.

“We’ve gone from about 6,000 residents to around 15,000 in 20 years,” Mayor Thomas Hamilton said. “So, it’s been a big jump for a small town like Moncks Corner and we don’t want to lose the Lowcountry’s Hometown feel. That’s why we’re being proactive.”

Due to future growth pressures, part of the draft focuses on how to maintain a small-town feel that appeals to both future and current residents.

“The Lowcountry continues to expand, and we hope to absorb some of that but absorb it in a responsible manner, so our current residents don’t feel left behind and that we actually enhance their quality of life from what they already expect from us,” Moncks Corner Community Development Director Justin Westbrook said. “Great fire service, police and recreation services, and that we also add to it for our future residents.”

The mayor said results from a community survey have guided the town to focus on providing outdoor activities residents can enjoy.

“Parks, pickleball, tennis,” Hamilton said. “Things that we can bring value and to have from our residents to be able to do in Moncks Corner instead of getting in their car and going to Goose Creek or North Charleston.”

Westbrook understands that planning and executing are two different things, and said that this is not a book that will collect dust on the shelf.

“You start saving for your retirement now and when you get there it may not be exactly what you envisioned because maybe you can afford more or maybe you have to scale it back a little bit, but this is a book that helps keeps us on that road map to which we’ve already collected the community’s voices, and will hopefully continue to use as we move forward,” he said.

The next step is for the town council to consider adopting this plan, which they will discuss at their February 20th and March 19th meetings. Members will be able to make recommendations to tweak or change certain things as they see fit.

To take a look at the draft, click here.

Copyright 2024 WCSC. All rights reserved.

MONCKS CORNER, S.C. – Every five minutes a person in the United States dies from a drug overdose, according to the American Medical Association. To help address the alarming rise in substance misuse in the Lowcountry and offer hope in recovery, WakeUp Carolina celebrated the grand opening of its newest location in Moncks Corner on Monday.

“Today is surreal. It’s hard to put words into it, but I’m thankful we are welcome here with open arms as every family and every person should be,” said Nanci Steadman Shipman, WakeUp Carolina’s founder and executive director.

Situated along East Main Street in the heart of downtown, this is the second location for Shipman’s nonprofit. She launched WakeUp Carolina in Mount Pleasant two months after her son, Creighton Shipman, died of a drug overdose in 2016. For the last seven years, she’s made it her mission to offer support to people and families impacted by the opioid epidemic.

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“You’re not alone. We’ll meet you right where you are. Whether it’s in our space in Charleston County, Berkeley County, reach out,” she said. “We have a great team.”

Services offered by WakeUp Carolina include harm reduction training, Narcan and fentanyl testing, rapid HIV testing, peer support, Narcan training, and much more.

“We provide education. We provide family support groups for family members who have been impacted or have lost a loved one to an overdose – and it’s not just opioids. It’s all substances,” she said.

According to Shipman, opening a second office in Moncks Corner made sense since more than half of the people seeking her nonprofit’s services are Berkeley County residents.

“Berkeley County is like everywhere else. Fentanyl is killing people. It is destroying families, and we need as many opportunities to reverse overdoses and have access to treatment and access to life-saving measures with harm reduction,” she said.

Dean Stephens, a familiar face to the Lowcountry who previously served as the main anchor for ABC News 4 for more than 30 years, is WakeUp Carolina’s new director of development for Berkeley County. In that role, he will help drive initiatives aimed at positively impacting the lives of those on their journey to recovery.

“It’s all about wellness and extending hope to people who may feel hopeless. We’ve set up this amazing office. The one really important thing about WakeUp Carolina is that we are here to listen,” Stephens said. “We want to hear what the community has to say, what the community wants, what the community’s needs are. And then we will go forward and help with resources and set up groups right here.”

Since its launch in February, Stephens said the support from Berkeley County leaders and residents has been overwhelmingly positive.

“It’s been a pleasure. It’s been an honor. There is so much gratitude involved with this team,” he said. “We have made so many partnerships and community advocates here already in the first three or four weeks. I can’t imagine what it’s going to look like in the days, the weeks, and the years to come.”

To learn more about WakeUp Carolina, visit https://www.wakeupcarolina.org. The Berkeley County office, which is at 325 E. Main Street, can be reached at (843) 761-6677 or info@wakeupcarolina.org.

On Tuesday, Jan. 2, it became official that Thomas Hamilton is now mayor of Moncks Corner. The political newcomer’s surprising victory over 10-year incumbent Michael Lockliear in November shocked even Hamilton. Fewer than 100 votes separated the two candidates.

But after taking office, he said he was ready to make some changes, beginning with having a more transparent town government.

Council chambers was standing room only during the event at town hall. The attendance may indicate the community wants to be a part of the governing process — something Hamilton believes is needed.

His first decision is to livestream town meetings. Livestreams are common with local governments throughout the area, but Moncks Corner chose not to make that move.

“I want people not only to watch but also get involved,” Hamilton said. “I think people are more involved now. I think I raised a lot of awareness that if you don’t get involved, you don’t know what’s going on with your town and don’t have any input into your town. I think we woke that giant up and are starting to pay attention more.”

The run for the Navy Veteran and 34-year Bosch employee started following a trip with his granddaughter to Lacy Park and the lack of response from the town to complaints about the park’s neglected appearance.

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He said he is now committed to getting to work on the park and adding new amenities, including laying the groundwork for the construction of the recreation center.

“As we begin the process of picking the projects that are going to go forward on, I want to make sure we keep them aware so that they can also be involved,” he said, and he’s making good on the promise to offer his ear when needed. “One thing I’ve done is put my telephone number on the webpage. I’ve told people if they need me or want to talk to me, I will always be available to everybody.”

Hamilton said another of his early goals is to catch up on the town’s infrastructure needs for its nearly 15,000 residents. That effort starts with the budget process in February.

“We have a couple of key positions that we really need to fill, and we have to start looking,” he said. “Moncks Corner is the fourth fastest growing town in South Carolina. Some of our town infrastructure, like town hall and the fire department, are just running out of room. We must start addressing that aspect because the longer we wait, the more we are behind.”

Also sworn in Jan. 2 were council member David A. Dennis, council member Latorie L. Lloyd and council member James N. Law Jr.

MONCKS CORNER, S.C. – Despite several delays, Slim Chickens officially opened its doors to the public Monday in Moncks Corner. The restaurant is located next to Tractor Supply at 451 North U.S. Hwy 52. This is the first restaurant along the South Carolina coast for the Arkansas-based chain.

Along with giving Berkeley County residents a new option to grab a meal, the new Slim Chickens restaurant is helping to boost the area’s economy with the creation of more than 75 new jobs, representatives for the chain told The Berkeley Observer.

Larry Chandler, a multi-unit Firehouse Subs owner, is behind the opening of the popular chicken chain’s third location in the Palmetto State. The restaurant chain opened its first South Carolina location on Garners Ferry Road in Columbia last year. Its second location opened in the Upstate in Fort Mill in April 2023.

Tana Lee is the restaurant manager for the Moncks Corner location.

For Chandler and his nephew, Jody Chandler, who is also a co-owner, this is their first time embarking on opening their very first Slim Chickens.

Larry has been in the restaurant business for nearly 40 years and owns 38 Firehouse Subs restaurants in South Carolina and North Carolina – the largest amount of locations in the Firehouse Subs system.

According to the pair, they decided to partner with Slim Chickens after experiencing the delicious food and southern hospitality firsthand, which is exactly what they say they strive for at their Firehouse Subs restaurants.

With the opening of the new Moncks Corner Slim Chickens, it now shares the same stretch of highway as several other chicken-focused restaurants, including Chick-fil-A, Bojangles, Popeyes, KFC and Zaxby’s.

According to Larry, while he has humble respect for his fellow local restaurant owners in Moncks Corner, he believes Slim Chickens will easily stand out in the restaurant scene because of the brand’s different offerings from its competitors, like chicken & waffles, 17 different sauces, and crafted desserts.

Slim Chickens, which launched in 2003 by founders Greg Smart and Tom Gordon, has over 235 locations in the United States, United Kingdom and Turkey and over 1,150 locations in development.

Slim Chickens locations are also planned for Florence, Myrtle Beach and Charleston, QSR Magazine reports.

For more information on Slim Chickens, visit slimchickens.com.