History of the Foundation

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.

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 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 Board Members

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

Officers

Greg Collins
Treasurer

Kyle Cullum
President

Jade Watford
Secretary

Directors

Greg Collins
SE Regional Manager, Bosch

Gregg Corley
Adjuster, USAA

Kyle Cullum
Owner, Threads Embroidery

Wendy Williams
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

2026 Sponsors

House of Raeford Farms
South Carolina Opioid Recovery Fund
United Bank
Jeffers McGill
Jerry Rich
East Bay Deli
Cregger
Southeastern Freight Lines
The Shandon Group
Gus & Shelley in Memory of Eric
Foundation Mortgage Corp.
Midlands Living SC
AAA Well Drilling, Inc.
Cayce Family Dentistry
Hands and Hearts Home Care
Waypoint Recovery Center
The Vining Family in Memory of Seth
Trinity Baptist Church
Kava Kennels
Gentle Beginnings Family Chiropractic, LLC
The Poore Family
Odom’s Mobile Petting Zoo


 

Perfectly Planned Travel
West Metro News
Burkett Burkett Burkett CPAs
David Tucker’s Corner Pantry
Phase One Consulting
Gregory Electric
Lorick’s Auto Repair
Stokes Trainor Newberry
Anchor Home Mortgage
Women’s Club of Cayce
Bineficial Trash Bin Cleaning
Stephen Waites
Cade & Lara In Memory of McKenna
Vital Chiropractic
Backyard Country Club
The McCartha Family
Set Forward Properties
The Broome & King Family
Food Lion on 378 in West Columbia
The Hundley Family
BodyWorx Training and Recovery
Signature Transportation in honor of Tony Standridge

2026 Partners

Cayce Fire Department “Hoof Beat Rand”
LRADAC
The Courage Center
Reconcilliation Ministries 
Our Place of Hope
Ezekiel Ministries
S.E.A. Place
The Palmetto Foundation 
Scooter Scott Project 
Oxford House SC.

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

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