November is Thornwell Emphasis Month

In 1875, Presbyterian minister William Plumer Jacobs opened Thornwell Orphanage to ten children. Now, although children who need a loving home are still welcome there in Clinton, Thornwell is known throughout South Carolina, Georgia, and Florida as a source for training foster parents and working with and helping to heal families in need of support.

Family changes everything in a child’s life, and Thornwell addresses the welfare of children not as a singular event, but rather as a comprehensive, ongoing cycle of services and support designed to help children and families, no matter what stage of life they’re in.

Our offering for Thornwell will be given in the service on November 19, 2023, and your gifts are welcome online now and through the end of the month.

 
 

What Thornwell Does to Help Children and Families

Foster Care – We help place children who have no relatives to care for them with loving families who can provide the security and shelter of a stable home.

Thornwell Family.jpeg

Residential Care – We provide a safe family-like home setting where children can recover from trauma and disruptions while their families cope with crisis. The new legal realities mean that big changes have come to Thornwell, but we remain committed to providing residential care for children and families in need.

Child Development Services – We provide nurturing care and educational support to children and families, including pregnant and teen moms, to support healthy futures for kids.

Academic Services – We provide essential education support that addresses distinct learning gaps and provides personalized learning for children and families in need.

Family Engagement – We offer several highly-personalized programs to teach parents important skills and coping tools that help them build a stable family and strengthen it over time through love and support.

Transitional Living Services – We help young people on the verge of adulthood adjust to an independent life outside the foster care system, with housing, life skills training, advanced education support, and workforce preparedness resources.

 

November is when we at Second Presbyterian remember Thornwell through a special offering. Please give to support this mission.

November is Thornwell Emphasis Month

Thornwell’s mission is to prevent child abuse and neglect, build and reunite families, and support healthy communities in the name of Jesus Christ. Founded in 1875 in Clinton, South Carolina, by a Presbyterian minister to care for orphans from the civil war, Thornwell still cares for abused, neglected, and abandoned children, while also providing innovative ministries to strengthen families throughout Florida, Georgia, and South Carolina.


Timothy was just 13 when he arrived at Thornwell, but he had already experienced more heartbreak than many will in a lifetime. Timothy witnessed his own father’s death. Before that, Timothy was placed in foster care with his sister when their mother went to jail. They were reunited, but only briefly, when he was placed in foster care again. He often cried inconsolably for hours. He needed the extra support that Thornwell could provide. His trauma affected his whole person. He walked on tiptoes because no one had ever taught him any other way. He used foul language regularly because that’s all he heard at home.


At Thornwell, Timothy lived in a loving family setting where he heard and learned acceptable language. He got the physical therapy he needed for walking properly and the emotional therapy for learning to calm himself. He also learned of God’s love for him.


In our own faith walk, let us remember Timothy’s journey from unimaginable suffering to faith and love, and give generously to Thornwell. The special offering will be given on November 21st, the Sunday before Thanksgiving.