ExtraordinaryFamilies To Honor Shane Brennan, Stacie & Philip D'Amour And Jason Peers & Eric Pelovello At First Annual Awards Gala

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Apr 13, 2016, 01:17 ET

LOS ANGELES, April 13, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- ExtraordinaryFamilies, a nonprofit dedicated to improving the lives of children in child welfare, hosts its first annual Awards Gala on April 20, 2016 at the Beverly Hilton Hotel, Beverly Hills. The evening will honor Shane Brennan, creator and executive producer, NCIS: Los Angeles, with the 2016 Visionary Award. Stacie & Philip D'Amour and Jason Peers & Eric Pelovello will be presented with the 2016 Sylvia Fogelman Founder's Award. Actress Renee Ridgeley and comedienne Sheila Chalakee, hosts. Singer/songwriter Judith Hill will perform and actor Chris O'Donnell will present. Brooke Kaufman Halsband, chairs.

Shane Brennan is the creator and executive producer of the hit CBS series, NCIS: Los Angeles. He developed a character in the series, G. Callen, portrayed by Chris O'Donnell, who spent his youth growing up in the foster care system. The character sheds light on the issue of child welfare and illustrates the resilience of character.

Stacie and Philip D'Amour went through the EF training process and were approved as foster parents in August, 2012. Philip works in the entertainment industry, and Stacie volunteers each week with EF and is a stay at home mom to the couple's one-year old daughter whom they adopted through the organization.

Jason Peers and Eric Pelovello live in Los Angeles with their two sons. While many families wish to adopt newborns, Erik and Jason opened their home and their hearts to two boys whom it would be difficult to find a family due to their age and circumstances. Jason furthers his dedication to encouraging others, with his eBook entitled "From Foster-Adopt to Forever Family – A Gay Couple's Journey to Fatherhood," which chronicles their journey to grow their family through adoption.

ExtraordinaryFamilies was formed in 2015 with the merger of two robust nonprofits: Southern California Foster Family and Adoption Agency (SCFFAA) and Child Welfare Initiative (CWI). Both organizations were well-established, innovative nonprofits in Southern California that shared the vision of improving the daily lives and long-term outcomes of children impacted by the child welfare system. The merger of the two organizations resulted in gained synergies, improved efficiencies, reduced costs, complementary services and in-field learning that significantly leveraged resources and greatly increased the organization's impact on the community. For information, visit www.ExtraordinaryFamilies.org, @XtraordinaryFFA, https://www.facebook.com/ExtraordinaryFamilies, https://www.instagram.com/extraordinaryfamilies/

SOURCE ExtraordinaryFamilies