Berkeley County invests $707K in fight against opioid epidemic
After reporting 84 opioid overdose deaths in 2023 and 53 deaths in 2024, Berkeley County officials fear numbers in 2025 will rise again as more than 35 deaths have already been recorded.
In response, the county is doubling down on its fight against opioid addiction.
At its Sept. 22 meeting, Berkeley County Council approved nine local organizations to share more than $707K in opioid recovery funding to help combat the crisis. The funding stems from South Carolina’s share of a $26 billion national opioid settlement with manufacturers, distributors, and pharmacies.
“Berkeley County Government will continue to support our community partners who remain on the front line of the opioid epidemic,” county grants administrator LeChele Nole Brown said. “My sincerest hope is that anyone battling addiction, please know that you do not have to carry this burden alone. We are a community of hope, faith, and love.”
This marks the third year in a row Berkeley County has received money from the settlement, which will be distributed through the South Carolina Opioid Recovery Fund over 18 years.
Funding recipients include:
- Berkeley County Coroner’s Office – $100,000
- Changed Lives Ministry – $74,990
- Ernest E. Kennedy Center – $80,754.80
- Fair Haven Home for Men – $80,754.78
- FAVOR Lowcountry – $80,754.78
- Kay Phillips Child Advocacy Center – $80,754.80
- Ninth Circuit Solicitor’s Office – $29,204
- Remnant House Outreach Ministry – $80,755.48
- Wake Up Carolina – $100,000
The Berkeley County Coroner’s Office, one of the largest recipients, plans to use its $100,000 to speed up toxicology and autopsy work on suspected overdose deaths.
“If we suspect an overdose, that money will allow us to get the results a whole lot quicker, and we can share that with our law enforcement and prevention partners,” coroner Darnell Hartwell said.
Other organizations are focusing on prevention and long-term recovery.
“In the first year (of receiving opioid recovery funding), our funding focused on laying a foundation,” said Wehme Hutto, executive director of the Ernest E. Kennedy Center. “By the second year, we started to see our initiatives grow. Now, as we come upon our third year, we’re seeing more stability and better referral pipelines from emergency rooms and community agencies.”
At the Kay Phillips Child Advocacy Center, grants manager Damita Holcomb said the money will go toward addressing addiction at one of its roots – childhood trauma.
“Our work focuses on prevention education in Berkeley County schools and for first responders, reaching more than 500 people each year,” Holcomb said. “We’re also continuing the Safe Babies Court program to support families with infants and toddlers at the highest risk of neglect and substance-related instability, treating more than 90 children exposed to illegal substances in the home.”
The county and its partners emphasize that the battle against opioids isn’t just about reversing overdoses; it’s about rebuilding lives.
As Hutto put it, “Numbers only tell part of the story. We’re using our community hubs to increase access to treatment so we can understand what is working, where the gaps are, and how to make sure the funding meets the community’s needs.”