CommUnify has announced the honorees for the 20th Annual Champions Dinner & Awards Ceremony in June. The honorees are The Hutton Parker Foundation, People Helping People, and Edwin Weaver, CEO of Fighting Back, Santa Maria Valley.
The event will be 6-8:30 p.m. Friday, June 5 at Hotel Corque, in The Craft House Restaurant Ballroom, 420 Alisal Road, Solvang.
Now two decades strong, the Annual Champions Dinner & Awards recognizes and celebrates the contributions of the individuals, businesses and organizations that are local “champions,” and whose dedication to our community’s well-being has made Santa Barbara County a better place for all its residents, CommUnify said.
Past honorees have included Rona Barrett, Jim Glines, Geoff Green, Michael Towbes, and the Santa Ynez Band of Chumash Indians. Funds raised from the dinner will support the programs in CommUnify’s Family & Youth Services division.
“For 20 years CommUnify has had the great pleasure of celebrating the dedicated individuals and organizations whose commitment to our communities has made Santa Barbara County a better place for all,” said Patricia Keelean, CEO for CommUnify.
“We are thrilled to announce our 2026 cohort of champions: The Hutton Parker Foundation, People Helping People, and Edwin Weaver, CEO of Fighting Back Santa Maria Valley,” Keelan said.
“They are all true leaders, making direct impacts every day and it is our privilege to honor them and of their many accomplishments at this special annual event,” she said.
For more about tickets and sponsorship, visit communifysb.org/cd26. For a complete description of CommUnify’s programs and services, visit www.CommUnifySB.org.
2026 Award Recipients:
The Hutton Parker Foundation
“The Hutton Parker Foundation is one of the leaders in our community for support of nonprofits,” CommUnify said.
The Hutton Parker Foundation strives to provide financial stability and organizational sustainability to community-based nonprofit organizations throughout Santa Barbara County.
“Their funding programs are designed to assist agencies in achieving their highest level of performance and delivery of services resulting in stronger, more efficient communities for all,” CommUnify said.
Their grantmaking focuses on needed areas such as capacity-building, media and capital grants, and general operating support.
The Hutton Parker Foundation was instrumental in helping small businesses and nonprofits survive during the Covid shut down and has found a unique way to provide affordable office space for numerous nonprofits, CommUnify said.
People Helping People
Founded in 1992, PHP is dedicated to improving the lives of adults and children in the Santa Ynez Valley, Los Alamos, and surrounding areas by addressing emergency and basic needs and providing comprehensive integrated family and individual support services.
PHP serves as one of the valley’s only social service agencies. It offers 19 different programs, including services for seniors, rent and utility payment assistance, food distribution, counseling, health care, domestic violence prevention, education around diversity, equity and inclusion.
“PHP works with their clients to connect them with the right services and support. PHP serves 3,500-5,000 individuals each year, and is a key organization in ensuring the well-being of Santa Ynez Vallez and Los Alamos residents,” CommUnify said.
Edwin Weaver, CEO, Fighting Back, Santa Maria Valley
Trained as a child welfare aupervisor, Weaver transitioned to become executive director of Fighting Back Santa Maria Valley in 2014 to proactively address the distressing situations he witnessed happening in the child welfare system.
A former youth pastor, Weaver holds a master’s degree in social Welfare and Dispute Resolution.
“Respected in the Santa Maria community, he works with homeless youth, going to riverbeds and other locations, and giving them assistance,” CommUnify said.
Under his leadership, Fighting Back Santa Maria Valley has expanded its work and its impact, offered truancy prevention, and provided trauma informed care free of charge.
Weaver’s career has been dedicated to aiding troubled families and youth using Restorative Approach Methods. He has strong connections to local high schools and collaborates with numerous other local organizations.