Alison Taylor
Treasurer
Member Since July 2006
What is your current or past career path or job?
Owner, Net Results of NC for 20 years, providing administrative services, consulting, and bookkeeping for small business. Prior experience includes Hospital Home Health Care and Hospice Albuquerque NM, I love non-profit work and organizational work.
What do you enjoy most in your life right now?
I am enjoying my two creative and hilarious sons, , my artwork, playing music with my friends, camping in my vintage camper and working with some of our area’s most amazing small business owners.
What does working with Friends of OCDSS mean to you?
My work with “FRIENDS” grounds me in a way that nothing else does. I have learned so much about the amazingly wonderful people in our community; the generosity of our donors and volunteers, the dedication and endless hard work of our social workers, and the sincere struggle and strong spirit of those receiving our assistance. FRIENDS is this: hard work and kindness. We’ve come such a long way and I am really proud to be part of this organization.
What is/are your favorite Friends Project(s) and why?
This is a tough question to answer. I see such value in all of the projects we take on, but, I think I have to choose the Summer Program for At-Risk-Youth. These kids live in fairly dire home situations. Through this program, they finally get a chance in the summer to have fun, to be kids, make friends and to experience things many of us take for granted, like a trip to the zoo, bowling or swimming. They also receive snacks and lunch. I love the concept and I am so glad we help the School Social Workers make this happen every summer.
How have you personally experienced Friends making a difference in Orange County?
We help keep families together, which I think is one of the most important things we do. Once I stopped on the side of the road to help a woman with her car. She was out of gas and had to pick up her child at school and she was scared to death she’d be late. I will never forget her. She was frantic, exhausted, told me she was broke and out of work. She and her disabled mom and her son were living in a motel. She had been looking for work everywhere and she just couldn’t seem to get ahead. We got some gas and talked about DSS. A few months later we received a request from her social worker for a deposit on a new apartment and any furnishings we could help with. She had found work and was going to have her own place. I couldn’t wait to write that check.