A Gift That Changes Generations

On a warm June day, friends of Thornwell gathered to celebrate more than the renovation of a home on Thornwell’s campus. As the ribbon was cut at historic Virginia Cottage, it marked the continuation of a story that began decades ago; one rooted in hope, shaped by care, and carried forward through generations.

For Zack Devier, that story is personal.

Long before Virginia Cottage became part of Thornwell’s Foster Care Village, his mother, Linda Turner Warren, and her siblings, John and Barbara Turner, found refuge on this campus as children. What they experienced here—structure, care, and opportunity—helped alter the trajectory of their lives in ways still unfolding today.

It’s a domino effect,” Zack shared. “Generations of lives are impacted by what happens in one place, at one time.”

That belief led to a transformational gift to renovate Virginia Cottage, now a vital home within the Thornwell Foster Care Village, an intentional campus-based community designed to surround children and foster families with support, stability, and belonging.

But for Zack, one aspect of the Village stood out above all.

In a foster care system where siblings are often separated, Thornwell’s model creates space for families to stay together, preserving the relationships that help children navigate some of life’s hardest moments.

I can’t imagine losing your parents and then losing your siblings too,” he said. “To be able to prevent that—that’s huge.”

Virginia Cottage stands as a tribute to the impact Thornwell had on Zack’s family. Dedicated in honor of his mother and her siblings, the home reflects a legacy not measured by recognition, but by the lives it has changed.

My gratitude for Thornwell cannot be measured,” Zack said. “This gift is one way to honor the love, care, and lasting legacy that began here and continues through generations.”

Today, Virginia Cottage is more than a renovated space. It is a place where new stories begin, where children will find consistency, families will find support, and hope will take root again.

And just as it did for one family years ago, the impact will not stop at the front door.

It will echo quietly and powerfully through generations yet to come.