2015 Annual Report
MESSAGE FROM THE PRESIDENT Small, Incremental Change, Every Day. I love TV comedies. One of my all time favorites, Parks and Recreation, just ended its seven-season run. The primary protagonist, Leslie Knope, gave a speech during the series finale that has been resonating with me all year; she says, “When we worked here together, we fought, scratched and clawed to make people’s lives a tiny bit better. That’s what public service is about: small, incremental change every day.”
By the end of the series, the characters no longer work for a parks and recreation department, but their commitment to small, meaningful change never wavers. Much of what Taylors TownSquare does is not normally bright and flashy: we are not constructing buildings nor are we able to take individual credit for sweeping changes. But what we are doing is bigger than any of those things. Taylors TownSquare, through its mission to facilitate and enable community, brings about the small changes that make big things happen. Through our meetings and markets that bring people together, our community branding efforts that make Taylors identifiable, and our parks and recreation initiatives that aim to physically connect communities, we cling to one idea over all others: we make Taylors better when we work together. By creating environments that allow people to let their hair down, embrace a pioneering spirit, and dismantle the need of the fine print that undermines clear relationships, we diligently work for the better of our whole community. To those of you who support us, thank you for your dedication to making that diligence possible. We truly couldn’t do it without you! Thank you,
Alex Reynolds
INITIATIVES
MONTHLY MEETINGS
Taylors TownSquare stays true to its core through its monthly meetings: We bring people together. We hosted 10 meetings this year, featuring Greenville County Planning, Arnett Muldrow and Associates, Meals on Wheels Greenville, the Taylors Mill, the new American Legion of Taylors and more! We are always looking for people to share about what they are doing in Taylors, and hope you will join us for meetings in 2016!
TAYLORS FARMERS MARKET
Presented by Greer State Bank
The first large-scale program of Taylors TownSquare, the Taylors Farmers Market will launch in May, 2016 and feature around 20 vendors, at least 50% of which will be produce vendors. We want to thank our Root Sponsor, Greer State Bank, our Sprout Sponsors, Pelham Medical Center and Taylors Rec, and our Seed Sponsors, Gary Sullivan Nationwide Insurance, Carolina Recycling Company, Due South Coffee, and the Taylors Mill for making this possible. It’s not too late to sponsor the Taylors Farmers Market.
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PARKS & RECREATION
This year, Taylors TownSquare hosted a work day in June to help maintain The Park at Taylors Mill project we began with Taylors FBC in 2014, and then helped the Taylors Mill negotiate with sewer agencies ReWa and Greer CPW towards further improvements to the park as those agencies perform sewer maintenance. Additionally, we have been working with Greenville County Recreation to ensure that the historic Chick Springs Park site, home to the only remaining structures from the Chick Springs Hotel era, is preserved for future generations. Greenville County is in the process of acquiring the property after which Taylors TownSquare will begin working towards a funding strategy to help develop this park from idea to reality.
COMMUNITY BRANDING
This year we hosted Arnett Muldrow in the creation of a Taylors Community Brand to be implemented across Taylors-wide efforts and signage. We are currently working towards implementing gateway signage at the two intersections of Main Street with Wade Hampton Boulevard. Additionally, we are working to get branded materials into the hands of businesses and residents. We have just begun selling Taylors, SC Stickers at Due South Coffee, the Taylors Rec Center, and the Academy of Arts and plan to release more products in 2016!
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HAPPENINGS In 2015, Taylors TownSquare hosted and participated in many gatherings and happenings beyond our Initiatives.
Upstate Forever Tour of Taylors Taylors Mill | 50 Years Later Parks & Recreation Focus Group Upstate Forever Highway 29 Taskforce
COMING IN 2016 WORK WORTH DOING
In the same episode of Parks and Recreation mentioned in the opening letter, Leslie Knope also quotes Teddy Roosevelt, saying, “far and away the best prize that life has to offer is a chance to work hard at work worth doing.� In 2016, Taylors TownSquare will continue its pursuit of work worth doing in Taylors. Through all of these Initiatives and other opportunities that come along, we will press on, continuing to make Taylors better, together. 5
PARTNERS
Thank you to the following partners who have given generously.
ALFRED TAYLOR PARTNERS Strange Brothers Grading Company
BURWELL CHICK PARTNERS Jessica Atkins
BLEACHERY PARTNERS Greer Memorial Hospital Taylors Lions Club
DISTINGUISHED INDIVIDUAL PARTNERS Jackie Bishop with Art Eats Bakery Sherry Barrett Chip Bentley Lawrence Black John & Pearl Drenckpohl Bill & Sue Manwaring Alex Reynolds Kenneth and Ruby Walker with Taylors Mill Properties Roger & Shannon Whitehead Doug Young http://taylorstownsquare.com/about/partners
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FINANCIAL
FINANCIAL SUMMARY AT DECEMBER 31, 2015
OVERALL ORGANIZATION Gross Receipts: $15,637 Total Expenses: $7,580 Administrative Expenses: $988
Cash on Hand: $8,509
TAYLORS FARMERS MARKET* Total Budget, Taylors Farmers Market: $18,500 Total Sponsorship Dollars Recieved: $7,000 Total Expenses, Taylors Farmers Market: $3,866 *These figures represent the 2016 Taylors Farmers Market Operation. We began fundraising and incurring expenses for the Market in 2015.
See the details at http://taylorstownsquare.com/about/key-documents
BOARD MEMBERS Alex Reynolds, President Taylors First Baptist Church
Chip Bentley, Vice President Appalachian Council of Governments
Sue Manwaring, Secretary/Treasurer Signature Management Group, Inc.
Mark Owens, Member
Greater Greer Chamber of Commerce
Doug Young, Member Doug Young Studios
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BETTER, TOGETHER. TAYLORSTOWNSQUARE.COM
POST OFFICE BOX 163 | TAYLORS, SOUTH CAROLINA 29687