Friends of Taylor’s Place:
As 2022 draws to a close we want to thank you for your continued support of our ministry.
Your financial gifts, volunteer hours, and most of all, your prayers help us make a positive impact on the lives of countless Texas A&M students.
And what a year it has been! We began by hosting several students for overnight stays before the start of Spring Semester. In January, we also welcomed our newest Board Member, Jake Williams, to our team. (Yes, we have a fully-functioning, hands-on Board of Directors that keeps our Mission and Vision on track.)
Our February Meet ‘n Greet was attended by a mix of Board members; students; volunteers; and members of the community who simply wanted to discover what Taylor’s Place is all about. Students shared memorable times at Taylor’s Place as well as pivotal moments when we were able to help them navigate the challenges of “adulting”. After the social part of the evening concluded, guests were invited to stay for our February Board Meeting. This was followed by a Q&A session with many constructive comments and suggestions offered by our guests. We plan to hold more of these Meet ‘n Greets in the future and hope some of you will be able to attend.
March brought a lull in student activities as they were now up to their ears in the serious business of Spring Semester. But, oh my, did things ever ramp up the following month! April/May was a whirlwind of activity. We had a revolving door of families and students for overnight stays. Celebrated Flag Awards, Ring Day, Final Review, and Graduation with our “Taylor’s Place Kids”. And the night before Final Review, threw a “Boot Shining Party” for some of our Junior and Senior Corps members.
You might think we would simply enjoy a long lazy Summer after all this, but that’s not how we roll at Taylor’s Place. We immediately set our sights on Academic Year 2022/2023 as the Board gathered for a Strategic Planning Retreat. July found us hosting a former student for a week during the Summer (once a Taylor’s Place Kid, always a Taylor’s Place Kid); attending Howdy Night in San Antonio; and welcoming students as house guests before Corps started. We also invited the P2 Fish over for supper during FOW.
Fall Semester brought a shift in our program format as we launched our “For the One Campaign” with the goal of focusing on the students. We transitioned from large group events to smaller gatherings to better identify the needs of individual students. Taylor’s Place went mobile as we hosted Boardgame Nights on campus for the benefit of students who otherwise couldn’t make it out to the house for events due to lack of transportation or busy schedules.
The success of these program changes confirmed our theory that smaller is better and far more impactful. With this in mind, we made the bold, scary, crazy decision to sell the Dowling Rd. property and downsize to a new build that should be completed early next Summer. In the meantime, true to the concept of smaller is better, we continued to welcome both students and alumni as house guests and crammed people into our temporary digs for Thanksgiving Dinner.
2023 will see a continuation of the Game Nights on campus. Plans are also in the works for a Welcome Back Students Night at a local restaurant as well as “Meet-ups” at a coffee shop and other locations around the community. We will keep you updated on the progress of our build and hope that many of you will be able to join us for our Housewarming Celebration early in the Fall Semester. Until then……
We wish you all a Joyous Christmas and a Blessed New Year!
T.J. & Tanya Gillespie
Taylor’s Place Cofounders