The Black Fairy Godmother Foundation Marks Domestic Violence Awareness Month With Its 11th Annual Purple Diamond Awards

Author and activist Shannon Watts delivers the keynote. Hosted by PIX11’s Vanessa Freeman with a live performance by Grammy-nominated singer Shanice

BLOOMFIELD, NJ, UNITED STATES, September 8, 2026 /EINPresswire.com/ — October is Domestic Violence Awareness Month. On Saturday, October 24, The Black Fairy Godmother Foundation will host its 11th Annual Purple Diamond Awards Gala, honoring the advocates, public officials and community leaders working to house families leaving violent homes, from 7 to 11 p.m. at The Brookside Banquets, 41 Broughton Avenue, Bloomfield, New Jersey. Proceeds fund emergency relocation for mothers and children leaving violent homes.

Award-winning journalist Vanessa Freeman, anchor and reporter at PIX11 News, will host the evening, which includes a red carpet experience and a live performance by Grammy-nominated R&B artist Shanice. Guest speaker Shannon Watts, author, activist, and founder emerita of Moms Demand Action, will deliver the keynote. This year’s honorees are Sonja Price Herbert, founder of Black Girl Pilates, receiving the President’s Circle of Honor Award; Leslie K. Brown, executive director of Partners for Women and Justice, receiving the Visionary Diamond Award; Newark West Ward Councilman Dupré L. Kelly (Doitall), a founding member of the multi-platinum hip-hop group Lords of the Underground and founder of 211 Community Impact, receiving the Guiding Diamond Award; U.S. Army veteran and advocate Lucy Del Gaudio, receiving the Beacon Award; and Craig Mainor, executive director of United Community Corporation, receiving the Diamond of Community Leadership Award.

The Foundation was founded by Simone N. Gordon, known as The Black Fairy Godmother. The Foundation works directly with landlords and realtors to cover security deposits and first month’s rent for families leaving shelters, then furnishes the apartments through community donations. Through its network of donors and volunteers, the Foundation has reached more than 225,000 families across its programs and has raised over $2 million that went directly to families in crisis, with no salaries taken. That support includes emergency housing, grocery assistance, scholarships for single mothers, and holiday support each December. According to the Foundation, roughly 69 percent of the families it relocates remain housed and rebuild, a rate Gordon describes as strong for domestic violence work, where returning to a partner is common.

“Every woman we celebrate on this stage once stood in a moment when someone told her she wouldn’t make it. Tonight, we celebrate the strength that proved them wrong, and the power of a community that refuses to let a woman or her family fall,” said Simone N. Gordon, Founder and Executive Director of The Black Fairy Godmother Foundation.

Proceeds from the evening support the Foundation’s six direct-assistance programs. Beauty brand Megababe joins this year as a Community Care Partner. The Foundation’s work has been featured on Good Morning America, ABC News, The Kelly Clarkson Show, The New York Times, People, Forbes, Parade and Woman’s Day.

Tickets and sponsorships are available at thepurplediamondawards.com. To learn more, visit theblackfairygodmother.org. General admission tickets start at $150, with VIP seating and sponsor tables also available.

About The Black Fairy Godmother Foundation
The Black Fairy Godmother Foundation provides rapid, dignity-first support to single mothers, domestic violence survivors, and families in crisis. Founded in 2017 and a registered 501(c)(3) since December 2020, the Foundation has reached more than 225,000 families with emergency housing, food assistance, scholarships, and direct aid, raising more than $2 million that goes directly to families in crisis.

Melinda Jackson
Melinda Jackson Public Relations
melinda@melindajacksonpr.com

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Written By: EIN Presswire