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.
Kyle Cullum
President
Jade Watford
Secretary
Greg Collins
Treasurer
Greg Collins
Southeastern Regional Manager Bosch Corporation
Gregg Corley
USAA
Kyle Cullum
Business Owner
Jerry Fralick
Communications Director / Local Missions Coordinator – Trinity Baptist Church
Gus Hoffmeyer III
(Retired) Property Manager, Commercial Property
Wendy Ducote
United Bank
Allison Swygert
Career Specialist – Lexington School Dist. 2
Chris Twitty
The Shandon Group Inc. – President
Roberta Vining
Pharmacist/Owner of Riley’s Drugs
Terry Ward
WestMetroNews – Owner
Randy Waters
Woodlands Golf & Country Club – Managing Owner
Jade Watford
Program Manager
Jimmy Watford
Business Owner
House of Raeford Farms
Cregger Company
Jeffers McGill
Gregory Electric
Conwell’s Meat Market
St. Martin’s in the Field Episcopal Foundation
The Sourcing Group
Southeastern Freight Lines
Corner Pantry
United Bank
The Shandon Group
Spherion Staffing
Bineficial Trash Bin Cleaning
L.B. Smith Ventures
Hudson’s Smokehouse
RM Storehouse
Vital Chiropractic
BodyWorx
Exit Palmetto Real Estate Services
Burkett, Burkett, and Burkett CPAs East Bay Deli
Modrall Sperling
Cayce Family Dentistry
Kava Kennels
2KFlipz
WestMetroNews
Without Limits Columbia
The Swygert Family
The Thornton Family
The McCurry Family
The Hundley Family
The Harris-Heath Family in memory of Mckenna
The Hoffmeyer Family in memory of Eric
Jerry Rich
Cayce Fire Department
The Courage Center
LRADAC
Our Place of Hope
Reconcilliation Ministries
Palmetto Foundation
The Scooter Scott Project
SEA Place
To learn more about becoming a partner with us, please email us at: taylorwatfordfoundation@gmail.com