History of the Foundation

After losing their beloved son, Taylor, at the age of 28 to an accidental overdose, Jimmy 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.

Our Mission

● 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 assist with the funding for those seeking to initiate treatment to overcome substance abuse and start a new life in recovery.

● To raise awareness amongst the community about substance abuse and the effect it has on families.

● To offer moral support for families who have been affected by substance abuse and to advocate for greater treatment access and support.

Our Board Members

Our work would not be possible without the dedication of our board members.

Officers

Kyle Cullum
President

Jade Watford
Secretary

Greg Collins
Treasurer

Directors

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

2024 Sponsors

Taylor Watford Foundation Partners

Some of our partners are:

To learn more about becoming a partner with us, please email us at:
taylorwatfordfoundation@gmail.com

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