Taylor on the playground at Gethsemani Recreation Center, where she has helped guide generations of neighborhood kids.
Written By Holly Roberts
Portrait By Rachel Branham
“This isn’t really a job; it’s a way of life and a second home for me,” says Ida Taylor, a Chicora-Cherokee resident who has helped countless young people on their journeys to becoming successful adults through her work with North Charleston’s Gethsemani Recreation Center.
Taylor, who grew up in the Union Heights neighborhood, celebrated 40 years of service with the center in July, an achievement rooted in dedication to her community and its members, many of whom she regards as family. “Being in this neighborhood for so long, I’ve got folks who came through the program as little ones who are now in their 40s,” says Taylor. “And now they’re bringing their children through. There are some families where I’ve had conversations with five generations.”
The center hosts North Charleston-based children ages five to 12 for summer camp and after-school programs, where they get help with homework, do arts and crafts, dance, play games, and go on field trips. “It’s a structured environment for the time they’re here, giving parents confidence knowing where their children are,” says Taylor. “Once they’re in this building, they belong to us, and we’re not gonna let anything happen to these kids.”
Children also learn important life skills, such as respecting each other and local seniors. For more than 18 years, the center has hosted an annual senior dinner where young people act as chaperones for older community members. “It’s on their backs that we have come,” says Taylor. “We are where we are because of them.”
Taylor, who worked in the public service industry before making the move to Gethsemani, intends to continue welcoming new generations into the program for years to come. “I don’t see myself doing anything else,” she says. “This building will be here after I’m gone, but right now I’m here to serve. That’s my whole reason for being: for youth, for the seniors, and for the community.”
