After losing their beloved son, Taylor, at the age of 28 to a fentanyl poisoning, The Watford family and friends, determined to make a difference in the lives of others, decided to turn their grief into hope by aiding in the fight against substance abuse and support for mental health.
Taylor’s death on December 27, 2018, greatly affected the Cayce, SC community where he grew up and the Brookland-Cayce High School he graduated from in 2008. His parents Jimmy & Wendy Watford, Toni & Michael Fuller, & siblings Jade & Kristen Watford and Chandler Fuller were blessed with bountiful love and support.
In the few days before Taylor’s memorial service, with the involvement and encouragement of faithful friends, Taylor’s family created the non-profit “Taylor Watford Foundation – Giving Hope to Life” with Jimmy and Jade both serving on the founding TWF board.
Taylor Watford was a fine Christian young man yet battled with addiction for 7 years. Even at his lowest, Taylor made many positive friendships and connections with the recovery community including Midlands Recovery, Oxford House, and more.
TaylorMade Oxford House in West Columbia was named for him and that bond with the Taylor Watford Foundation remains strong. Taylor spent his life wanting to help those who needed it every chance he got. To this day, Taylor Watford is still known for the difference he made during his short time on earth.
We believe that Taylor and the good Lord are smiling down from Heaven knowing that such good has come from such despair.
● To help bridge the gap by providing the initial funding needed for individuals seeking to enter a public or private drug program and/or recovery facility.
● To raise awareness amongst the community about substance use and the effect it has on communities.
● To offer moral support for families who have been affected by substance abuse and use their experiences to advocate for others.
● To engage with South Carolina’s youth and reward them for taking part in our efforts.
Our work would not be possible without the dedication of our board members.
Greg Collins
Treasurer
Kyle Cullum
President
Jade Watford
Secretary
Greg Collins
SE Regional Manager, Bosch
Gregg Corley
Adjuster, USAA
Kyle Cullum
Owner, Threads Embroidery
Wendy Ducote
AVP & Branch Manager II, United Bank
Jerry Fralick
Communications Director, Trinity Baptist Church
Lara Heath
Health & Life Insurance Agent, Murdock Insurance Group
Gus Hoffmeyer III
Retired
Cherub Hutto
School Nurse, Lexington 2 //
Owner, Perfectly Planned Travel
Heather Jovanelly
Shipping & Receiving, RRD
Chris Twitty
President, The Shandon Group Inc.
Roberta Vining
Pharmacist & Owner, Riley’s Drugs
Terry Ward
Owner, WestMetroNews
Randy Waters
Retired
Jade Watford
Research Manager
TOP SPONSOR— House of Raeford Farms
East Bay Deli
Jerry Rich
United Bank
AAA Well Drilling
Spheroin (in memory of Hunter)
Gregory Electric
Jeffers McGill
Cregger Company
The Shandon Group
Southeastern Freight Lines
Burkett, Burkett, Burkett CPAs
Kava Kennels
Modrall Sperling
Bineficial Trash Bin Cleaning
Vital Chiropractic
The Hoffmeyer Family (in memory of Eric)
Lorick’s Auto
The Vining Family (in memory of Seth)
Cayce Family Dentistry
The Sourcing Group
WestMetroNews
Hudson’s Smokehouse
L.B Smith Ventures
RM Storehouse
St. Martin’s in the Field Episcopal Foundation
Corner Pantry
Without Limits
BodyWorx
2KFlipz
The Hundley Family
Daniel Alsup
The Thornton Family
The Swygert Family
The Mccurry Family
The Harris/Heath Families (in memory of McKenna)
Fast Casual Storage
Cayce Fire Department
LRADAC
The Courage Center
Reconcilliation Ministries
Our Place of Hope
Ezekiel Ministries
S.E.A. Place
The Palmetto Foundation
Scooter Scott Project
To learn more about becoming a partner with us, please email us at: taylorwatfordfoundation@gmail.com