A former children’s pastor, Taylor wanted to give local children an after-school place to study and hang out so she took the extraordinary step of buying a second mobile home in Sky Meadows Mobile Home Park, where she lives, to do just that.
VIDEO: Take a look at “The Club House” in action
On any given afternoon, that second trailer is packed with youngsters, many of them of Hispanic descent and enrolled in Hamilton City Schools’ English as a Second Language (ESL) program.
“They (neighborhood kids) had nothing to do. We saw the need was right here and things started falling into place. This here became our main thing and it just started growing,” Taylor said.
In December, Kristina Hamester, an ESL teacher at Crawford Woods Elementary, nominated Taylor for the Citizen of the Year award presented by the Greater Hamilton Chamber of Commerce and the Journal-News.
“Teachers of Crawford Woods are grateful for her and her family’s generous hearts and all that they make available to others,” Hamester said about Taylor in her nomination. She added that in addition to providing a place for students to study after school, families are also able to pick up locally donated food, school supplies and household items.
Taylor will be honored at the Chamber's annual meeting and dinner Jan. 27. A $1,000 donation will also be made to a charity in her name as part of the award.
The Chamber’s Citizen of the Year award is given annually to a member of the Hamilton community “who has left a special mark on the city and has done so in a way that transcends his or her everyday job. The contribution represents a volunteer effort, a financial commitment, a significant achievement or a powerful idea that will make a positive difference in local quality of life,” according to the Chamber.
Stay tuned to Journal-News.com for an update about Taylor and her efforts.
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PREVIOUS CITIZENS OF THE YEAR
1987: Jackie Parrish
1988: Jack Becker
1989: James Brown
1990: Richard Fitton
1991: Ray Nichting
1992: Harry Wilks
1993: Linda Good
1994: Sherry Corbett
1995: Eva Lande
1996: Henry Cepluch
1997: Chuck Thackara and Adeline Zoller
1998: Mike Cox
1999: The Rev. Bill Banks
2000: John and Shirely Moser
2001: Ralph and Donna Carruthers
2002: Gerry Hammond
2003: Frank Pfirman
2004: Bill Wilks
2005: Jim Blount
2006: Larry Bowling
2007: Tim Nichting
2008: Tom Fritsch
2009:No award was given
2010: Bob Weigel
2011: Don Ryan
2012: Mike Dingeldein
2013:Cris Crowthers
2014:Steve Timmer
2015:Joe and Sarah Marcum
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