WakeUp Carolina continues its fight against drug abuse in Berkeley County

BERKELEY COUNTY, S.C. (WCIV) — WakeUp Carolina has used its resources to combat substance abuse throughout the Lowcountry.

In February, the organization opened another office in Berkeley County. On Tuesday evening, the nonprofit will host its first “Light the way for hope” event in Moncks Corner.

“We walk with her,” said Darnell Hartwell, Berkeley County coroner. “We have not forgotten her.”

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It's a new battleground for WakeUp Carolina in its ongoing fight against substance abuse.

“We want to honor those who have lost someone and give people a chance to grieve,” said Brenda Nikic, the family program manager at WakeUp Carolina. “We also want to raise awareness that together there is hope.”

Hope is the reason one mother joined the WakeUp Carolina family after nearly losing part of her own family.

“It was an eight-year journey for my son,” Nikic said. “He took three overdoses and Narcan was able to revive him. Then, as the addiction grew, he turned to meth, which created a really tricky situation. We eventually had to kick him out of our house. He was homeless and living on the streets. He served time in jail.”

Her son Matthew has been clean and sober for two years. He is expecting a child.

“He found a great program in Ohio,” Nikic said of her son. “It's also a culinary institute that teaches students skills through work and gives them a sense of purpose.”

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For Matthew, it was a happy ending. But for 29 other families in Berkeley County, things will turn out differently this year.

“My job is to handle these difficult situations,” Hartwell said. “It's going to be a very emotional time for them. It's going to be a very emotional time for us, too. Our goal and our job is to let them know that we care.”

With 339 fatal overdoses in Berkeley County since 2020, it is clear that the work must continue.

“There is a community here that supports them,” Hartwell said, “that is ready to walk with them and make sure they have the resources – to build the relationships they need to get through the crisis.”

For Nikic, it’s simply a matter of going one step further.

“I can't make it better, but I can listen to you and be there for you,” Nikic said. “Being there for someone and showing them that we care is the best thing you can do.”