Cody Saintgnue & Sharon Catherine Brown Join You Gotta Believe's Board Of Believers

You Gotta Believe (YGB) announced today that actor Cody Saintgnue and actress Sharon Catherine Brown will join its Board of Believers, a group of passionate volunteer advocates who dedicate themselves to helping the organization find loving, permanent parents for older children in foster care. For Saintgnue and Brown, YGB's work finding families for foster kids is personal. Saintgnue spent time in the foster care system before he was adopted at age twelve, and Brown adopted her beloved son from foster care.

Santignue and Brown connected with the organization earlier this year when they performed in YGB's 9th annual Benefit Concert, Voices: Stars for Foster Kids. Immediately, both actors became vocal supporters of YGB's mission, using social media to highlight the critical need for loving families for older kids in the foster care system and share their stories of being part of forever families formed through foster care adoption.

"We are honored to have Cody and Sharon join our Board of Believers," said Jennifer Pinder, Executive Director of You Gotta Believe. "They each have their journey with foster care and understand our kids and families better than anyone. Sharon became a parent through foster care adoption, and while her son was a baby when they were connected, he is now nineteen years old. And Sharon relates to our mantra that we never outgrow the need for family! Cody is a foster care survivor and generously shares his personal story to advocate for foster youth still waiting in the system. Our young people admire and connect with him; his experience is emblematic of the more than 400,000 kids in the foster care system -- all of whom entered the system through no fault of their own."

"YGB's mission to find permanent families for older foster youth hits home for me. I was a foster kid for four long years. When I was 12, everything changed because I found my forever family when I met my mom, Brenda," said Saintgnue. "I'll never forget the moment I asked if I could call her mom, and her response was, 'You can call me anything you want, Cody.' I thrived because I had her unconditional love and support. Every child has the potential to flourish; it just takes one adult to step in and make that happen. I'm proud to join the Board of Believers at You Gotta Believe. I love their mission to find a family for every kid in foster care, and I am especially honored to step into this role alongside the amazing Sharon Catherine Brown, whom I love and deeply admire!"

"Adopting my son changed my life," said Brown. "Every kid needs a family that loves them like I love my child, and you get so much back when you're a parent. I'm excited to work with YGB to help find every kid in foster care the family they deserve. The fact that I get to work alongside Cody makes it even better. I loved him the moment we met. He is a remarkable young man, and I've appointed myself one of his aunties. I am just so proud of him and proud we can advocate for foster youth who need forever families together."

Saintgnue and Brown's arrival on the Board of Believers coincides with National Adoption Month, an initiative of the Children's Bureau that seeks to increase national awareness of adoption issues, bring attention to the need for adoptive families for teens in the U.S. foster care system, and emphasize the value of youth engagement. YGB uses this time to renew its commitment to finding families for the more than 423,000 children and youth in foster care and celebrate those who make a meaningful difference in their lives.

YOU GOTTA BELIEVE (YGB), founded in 1995, focuses exclusively on finding permanent parents and families for kids in foster care with expertise in working with young adults, teens, and pre-teens who are most in danger of aging out of the system alone.

Today, more than 400,000 children are in foster care in the US, and every year, as many as 17,000 of them will age out of the foster care system. Without the safety net of a forever family to provide the security and comfort most take for granted, these young people are left on their own to face a future filled with hardships — from lack of education to unemployment, higher rates of incarceration, poor health, early parenthood, and homelessness (as much as 40 percent of these kids will experience this devastation in their lifetimes). In New York City alone, there are hundreds of kids currently awaiting adoption, with 600-700 kids on the verge of aging out.

Cody Lee Saintgnue, a multi-talented figure in the entertainment industry, has a remarkable journey that traces back to his challenging beginnings in foster care. Born in Dayton, Ohio, Cody's life took a transformative turn when he was placed into foster care at nine and later adopted at twelve. He found solace and self-expression through acting and theater, which led him to venture into print modeling. His talent shone through at a Model and Talent Expo in Texas, where he won as a newcomer, gracing the competition showcase magazine's cover.

At 14, Cody and his mother decided to relocate to Los Angeles, where he immersed himself in film and TV acting. His career gained momentum with roles in shows like "Southland," "House M.D," and "Criminal Minds." Notably, he portrayed "Brett Talbot" on the popular MTV series "Teen Wolf." Cody's versatile career expanded to co-executive producing "The Tax Collector" and serving as an executive producer on the Oscar-nominated film "The Trials of Chicago Seven." When the pandemic disrupted the industry, Cody turned to music, co-writing a double-platinum song for K-pop icons "Monsta-X" and releasing his own single, "Novocaine Joyride." Alongside his artistic pursuits, he's dedicated to making a difference for children who have experienced the foster care system. He is an ambassador for organizations like The Dave Thomas Foundation for Adoption and You Gotta Believe.

Cody Saintgnue recognizes the pivotal role of mentors, the foster care system, and his loving mother in shaping his life. His greatest joy is paying it forward, inspiring young adults to believe that their past doesn't dictate their future and that they can make their dreams a reality.

Sharon Catherine Brown, a native New Yorker, is a distinguished Broadway performer and advocate for finding families for foster youth. The daughter of two former Broadway stars, June Brown and Johnny Brown (known for his role as Mr. Bookman on TV's "Good Times"), Sharon's career shines with exceptional credits. She is set to reprise her role as Mrs. Nolan in the upcoming Broadway production of "Days Of Wine And Roses" in January 2024, reuniting with her "Rent" director, Michael Greif.

Sharon has portrayed a diverse range of characters in her illustrious Broadway career, including roles in "Caroline Or Change," "Head Over Heels," "Dreamgirls," "Joseph ... Dreamcoat," and "Maggie Flynn." Her television and film work, featuring appearances in "The Good Fight," "A Different World," "Generations," "Introducing Dorothy Dandridge," and "Sister Act II," adds depth to her artistic journey. Notably, she was the first Black woman to play Lucy in Frank Wildhorn's "Jekyll & Hyde" and recently took on the role of Madame Millet in the workshop of his new musical, "Song Of Bernadette." Sharon is also a regular guest performer at the prestigious Cafe Carlyle with Seth Rudetsky.

However, Sharon's most cherished role in life is that of a parent. Sharon adopted her son Elijah and shared her story during Voices: Stars for Foster Kids, a musical benefit for You Gotta Believe in New York City, in 2023.

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