Life on Campus

The children of Calvary Children’s Home attend local public schools, church, and take part in school and community activities in order to become responsible citizens of society. We strive to provide the children with a balanced approach to the physical, social, educational, and spiritual needs of their life. As the children age and demonstrate their maturity and responsibility, they may hold part-time jobs in the community.

Since the Home’s beginning in 1966, we have had the privilege of offering a home to well over 400 children. Our goal is to provide children with opportunities that challenge and prepare them for life in a difficult and demanding society by showing love, acceptance, understanding, and encouragement.

The future of the Calvary Children’s Home will be, as it always has been, totally dependent on God as He cares for us through the hearts and hands of our friends. We are committed to providing the best possible home to these children but we cannot do the work alone. Your interest and support is also important because of the encouragement it provides. It demonstrates to our children that they really are important as our friends take such an interest in them. The impact of that message is one that will remain with them throughout their life.

If you are interested in volunteering or making a donation to Calvary Children’s Home,

click here to learn more

The Administration Building

The Pavillion and Fire Pit

The Playground

The Gym

Tippin’s Cottage

Grogan Cottage

Younger Boy’s Cottage

Girl’s Cottage

The Facility

The Vaughan campus consists of three cottages that can house 35 to 40 children at a time. In 1999, an administration building containing our administration offices, counseling center, library, and dining hall was added to the Vaughn campus.

We are proud that we were able to make the move to the Vaughn campus, which cost over $2 million dollars in construction and acquisition, without borrowing any money or taking on any debt. We simply only continued building when sufficient funds were available for each phase. Through the generosity of the community and the blessings of the Lord, we were fortunate enough to raise funds as needed. If you would like to make a donation to Calvary Children’s Home, click here.

Calvary Children’s Home is located on thirteen acres in Powder Springs, Georgia, just outside of Atlanta. Our beautiful campus contains both woodland and large open spaces making it the perfect location for children to run, play, and live.

Located at the entrance to the property is the administrative office, which contains the cafeteria and library. Just a short walk away are the three residential cottages, one for girls, one for older boys, and one for the little boys. We are also blessed to have recently added a new playground, modern gymnasium and event pavilion.

Children’s Houses

Playground & Outdoor Gazebo

Campus Tour

Administrative Building

The Pavillion

The Playground

This is the Big Boys’ Cottage

This is the Little Boys’ Cottage

This is the Girls’ Cottage

The Gym

The Staff

For fifty years Calvary Children’s Home has provided long-term residential care for children needing placement apart from their families in a distinctly Christian setting. Our mission is to help these children reach their full potential in their personal, spiritual and relational lives. At the center of this mission and its success is our houseparent team.

Front Row: Tammy Young, Melita Busby, Elna Letter, Sherry Croft, Sydney Casella,
Leslie Kirk, Lucille Turner, Darlene Hancock
Back Row: Allen Young, Brian Busby, Deon Letter, Mike Baker, Brent Turner, Benita Willis, Pam Bowers

Allen & Tammy Young

Houseparents - Young Boys’ Cottage

Allen & Tammy Young joined our family here at Calvary in 2009 after prayerfully considering other ministries. Watching Gods involvement on Calvary from the outside caused them to want to get involved on the inside.
The Young’s started out as Relief Houseparent’s in the Older Boys home and eventually God opened the door for their role as primary Houseparents for the Younger Boys where they have served since 2011. It did not take long after being around the children to want to serve them and God in a greater capacity.
Allen & Tammy find it inspiring to look back at God’s prep work prior to leading them to Calvary full time. Allen has years of experience as a pastor and is currently pastor at Mount Carmel Baptist in Douglasville. He graduated with a BA in Theology and Biblical Counseling from Luther Rice University and serves Calvary as shift supervisor. Along with Tammy's creativity they both combine their love for ministry, coaching and mentoring to honor the gifts God has given them towards and for the most vulnerable.

Darlene Hancock

Houseparent - Girls’ Cottage

Darlene officially started in ministry with Calvary Children’s Home in May of 2010, but her heart for children started growing many years earlier. She describes feeling her calling after hearing an evangelist describe Satan’s attack on our youth as them having a bulls-eye on their back.
She started working in youth ministry at her home church in 2001 and through this experience became acquainted with the Children’s Home. It didn’t take long for Darlene to recognize her calling to serve was right in front of her…she jumped at the opportunity to serve with Calvary. The Lord already had Darlene in place at Calvary when her husband of 33 years went home to heaven.
She started as a Relief Houseparent in the boy’s home and after her husband’s passing; she became the primary Houseparent for the girl’s cottage in April 2012. Darlene enjoys cooking the girls’ favorite meals and spending time talking and sharing with “her” girls.

Mike Baker

Facilities

Mike is the Facilities Supervisor at Calvary Children’s Home and has been a part of the Calvary family for 9 years. Mike also assists in a Relief Houseparent role to provide much needed rest to our full-time Houseparents.
The path leading Mike to Calvary was filled with unique circumstances, much like the children in our care. With the Lord’s help Mike was able to share his experiences, love, and knowledge with the children and they, in turn, showed love and respect to Mike.
Mike will be the first to tell you he thanks the Lord each day for bringing him to Calvary and allowing him to serve the Calvary family with his talents and willingness to help those in need.

Sherry Croft

Program Director

Sherry Croft has served at Calvary Children’s Home for the last 40 years. Sherry graduated from Shorter College in 1977. She then worked at Devereaux Treatment Center for two years prior to joining the Team at Calvary Children’s Home. Sherry’s journey into the Mission field to work with children began in her heart at an early age while working as a teenager with homeless children. Her heart was smitten when a little girl who was the troublemaker in the group and the most difficult child to work with, reached out to her and only wanted to spend time with her. The church staff were amazed and couldn’t believe this child could turn into a real sweetheart. Since then, Sherry’s heart has always been to reach children with love, laughter, and to challenge them to be the best they can be.
Sherry multi-tasks in an administration role at Calvary from working as a social worker, in public relations, coordinating volunteer help, and as a Program Director, coordinating training and program events for the staff and children. She is married and has two grown children.

Sydney Casella

Program Assistant

Sydney is a lifelong Cobb County resident. She joined the Calvary team in January 2022 as Assistant to the Program Director. She assists with admissions, maintaining records, building rapport with our children, and other various office duties. Sydney recently graduated from Kennesaw State University with a bachelor's degree in psychology and a minor in medical sociology. She has a passion for working with children and is currently pursuing a master’s degree in social work. Sydney is a true team player, and we are glad she is on our team!

Brent Turner

Development/Finance Director

Brent Turner is the Development/Finance Director for Calvary Children’s Home and serves on its Board of Directors. Brent literally grew up around Calvary as his grandfather, Ben Turner, is the founder and his father, Snyder Turner, has been the Executive Director for 54 years.
Prior to joining Calvary Brent spent 18 years in Banking and Finance where he focused on mortgage origination, product cross selling, pipeline management and customer relationship development. Brent earned a Bachelor of Science in Finance degree from Auburn University and is a lifelong resident of Cobb County, GA.
Brent currently resides in Powder Springs, GA with his wife Dana and two children, Katelyn and Cameron. They are members at Burnt Hickory Baptist Church. In his spare time Brent enjoys spending time in the outdoors, playing golf, and watching college football.

Snyder Turner

Executive Director

Snyder has been the Director of Calvary for over 50 years. Following in the footsteps of his late father and our founder, Rev. Ben F. Turner, Snyder has sought to continue our mission of providing a safe, loving, Christian home environment for children needing placement apart from their family.
His constant message to both children and staff is to do everything with a “Spirit of Excellence” and never take for granted the goodness of God nor the friends whose kindness makes Calvary possible.
His great joy is found in having a part in the change and personal development in a child’s life as they grow into responsible young adults with a meaningful relationship with the Lord. He believes our best legacy is to have influenced the next generation for good.
In addition to his role as Executive Director, he served as Pastor of the Calvary Baptist Church in Powder Springs for the past 24 years.

Brian Busby

Campus Director

Brian and Melita Busby joined the Calvary Team in January of 2000. Nearly 22 years of experience has given them a host of stories to share and a multitude of priceless memories. The Lord has allowed them the precious treasure of seeing children they cared for over the last eighteen years grow into adults who are now raising children of their own. Brian’s grandmother ministered as the cook at Calvary for decades and Melita’s father served on the Board of Director’s. This, shared, childhood connection became a divine bridge in their calling to raise children whose parents could not care for them. They firmly believe the role of the parents to be the most influential in a child’s life and feel honored to have served in the lives of many remarkable children as “House Parents”.
Brian is also the Campus Director at Calvary and is responsible for the day-to-day aspects of our ministry and the supervision of our staff.

Leslie Kirk

Office Staff

Leslie Kirk has been with Calvary Children’s Home for three years. She serves as an Administrative Assistant providing support to the ministry with daily administrative operations. After years of staying at home with her young children, Leslie had a desire to return to work where she could help others and give back to her community. We are so thankful the Lord led her to Calvary. She is a true asset to our team.
Leslie is married with three children.

Lucille Turner

Office Staff

It was over 56 years ago and she was the first one to hear the news. There was going to be a children’s home built in Smyrna, GA, by a man who had no money to build it nor any idea how it would happen other than he believed God was leading him and would supply what was needed. That was all she needed to know and with an equally strong faith and confidence that her husband had a heart to obey God, the two-year process began to build a place called Calvary Children’s Home.
The staff and children know her as “Aunt Lucille” and since we accepted our first children in June of 1966, she has unselfishly given her life to seeing the continuation of that dream for a safe, Christian home for children from hurting families. She is also representative of you who have so generously and unselfishly supported Calvary for these 50 years.
Her husband and our Founder, Rev. Ben F. Turner, has been in heaven for over ten years now, and if he could know, he would be proud of her dedication-but not surprised. Maybe that’s why he told her first!

Benita Willis

Business Manager

Benita joined the Calvary team in January of 2010. Working as a Customer Retention Manager for a large telecom for 11 years, she felt the call to ministry. Benita had been familiar with the Home all of her life and when looking to serve…she could not think of a better place to bring her talents.
Benita performs many roles, but her primary duty is to serve as the Business Manger for Calvary. In this role she ensures all business aspects of the Home are handled in a diligent and professional manner.
In her free time she enjoys gardening, spending time with her grandchildren, and traveling with her husband, Tom.

Impact Lives, View our Employment Opportunities

For fifty years Calvary Children’s Home has provided long-term residential care for children needing placement apart from their families in a distinctly Christian setting.

Click here for more information.

Our Campus

Life on Campus