But it was a long way from family. When the Warners went to parent meetings, they realized other families like theirs had come from all over the country for a community like this. “You put all those things together and we realized that we need to do this. We need to bring Zack closer to us. We need to have something where other families like ours in this area can have a safe place where their child can thrive but also be a part of their family’s life,” Kurt said. That’s where Treasure House comes from — the Warners’ love of their son and their desire to bring him closer to home in a safe and loving environment. They rallied their forces and brought together people who donated land, architecture and more to build a facility in Glendale. Today, Treasure House is the only Arizona living community for young adults with cognitive disabilities that blends support for independence with community building. Each resident has his or her own studio apartment and shares a community family room, game room, patio, recreation area and family-style kitchen. In October, Treasure House celebrated its first anniversary and passed the 50-percent occupancy mark. “With God’s grace, we want to fill this place up, model it and then go build another one somewhere else for more families,” Kurt said. The road hasn’t been easy, starting from finding a neighborhood that would welcome the place. “Everybody says, ‘Oh, that’s sweet, but not in my backyard,’ and that broke my heart because they don’t know what they’re missing,” Brenda said. “It isn’t their fault. It has to do with how society treats people with disabilities. But once you meet somebody from Treasure House, you will want them to be a part of your life.” Which is a critical part of both the name and the master plan. “There is a scripture that says where your heart is, your treasure is. I know the value of knowing somebody like Zack and I want you to open your heart and see the treasure,” Brenda said. So the Warners are putting their money, time and energy into Treasure House. “This is where our heart is,” she said. 26 FRONTDOORS MEDIA | DECEMBER 2019 TREASURE HOUSE COMES FROM THE WARNERS’ LOVE OF THEIR SON AND THEIR DESIRE TO BRING HIM CLOSER TO HOME IN A SAFE AND LOVING ENVIRONMENT. A lot of Kurt and Brenda’s charitable activity has been driven by their children and their faith. Treasure House combines both.

The ultimate goal is to connect Treasure House residents with the community. “We want people to see the kind of blessing they are when you get to know them,” Kurt said. That means finding businesses willing to give residents jobs so the community gets a chance to see those with disabilities in a different light. “That is our all- encompassing dream and goal,” Kurt said. For his part, Zack is flourishing in his new home. He loves music and friends and lights up when visitors walk into the room. He enjoys reading palms and is diligent about what Kurt calls “landscaping.” Every morning Zack goes for a walk, picking up sticks and garbage that need to be disposed of. “He makes the world more beautiful,” Brenda said. “He is a light to this world.” Knowing that Zack is settled and flourishing, Kurt and Brenda can shine their own lights in new directions. Earlier this year, Kurt started coaching high school football for free at Brophy College Prep, which his son EJ attends. “It’s a great opportunity to spend time with my son in a different setting, and a chance to help shape the character of these young men,” Kurt said. “I’m passionate about the game and it keeps me connected to something that I love as well.” For her part, Brenda has found something that she loves — metal art. Over the years, she had dabbled in yoga, photography, hiking and other pursuits but failed to find what made her heart sing. Then, approaching 50 — a difficult birthday, because a tornado killed her mother, with whom she shares a birthday, on her 50 th birthday — Brenda felt like it was time to do what she wanted, other people’s opinions be damned. She found her calling in a surprising place: welding. She realized that wherever she traveled, she would pick up metal art, turn it over and try to figure out how it was made. “My mom and grandma taught me to sew. This is honestly sewing with fire because you’re welding two pieces together like a loop stitch,” she said. “It was something that was finally feeding me, and it felt like it was me .” After Brenda filled their home with so many metalworks it looked like “Game of Thrones,” Kurt suggested she start to sell her art. Brenda refused. “I thought, no, I don’t need the money. I don’t want to deal with people’s opinions,” she said. But then she came up with the idea of selling her works to benefit Treasure House. Today, Brenda has a workshop and makes everything from jewelry to wall art. In fact, she created a lot of the art around Treasure House, including the large metal sign at the front of the building. After selling her wares for a year, she wrote her first check to Treasure House. “I know Kurt can write huge checks. But this was from me. It was special,” she said. Both Kurt and Brenda see the beauty of looking to their past to find their future. He has found his DECEMBER 2019 | FRONTDOORS MEDIA 27 Treasure House specializes in developing individualized strategies and supports for young adults with cognitive disabilities.