Over the past year, Jonathan’s Place has provided vital support and resources to vulnerable youth and families and fostered a safe place where individuals can begin to heal and thrive. Through our unique programs—offering educational opportunities, mental health services, and essential life skills—Jonathan’s Place has empowered countless young people to rise above their circumstances and envision brighter futures. Their unwavering commitment to advocacy not only uplifts those in need but also inspires us all to work together for a more inclusive and compassionate society. It’s this kind of transformative work that reminds us of the profound impact we can have when we stand together in service of one another.
Your commitment makes a difference in the lives we serve at Jonathan’s Place.
We hope you will join us at the 2025 Jonathan’s Place A Chance To Soar Luncheon to learn more about our programs and campus expansions throughout Dallas County.
Acclaimed actress and singer Bellamy Young is best known for her award-winning role as ‘President Mellie Grant’ on the ABC/Shonda Rhimes series SCANDAL.
Young’s performance as the politically ambitious First Lady who becomes President earned her much critical praise including: a Best Supporting Actress statue from the Critics’ Choice Awards, Entertainment Weekly’s 25 Best Characters on TV, #15 on Entertainment Weekly’s 50 Best TV Scenes of the Year, NY Post’s Top 10 TV Actors, and a TV Guide Magazine’s Fan Favorite Award. Rolling Stone Magazine described Young’s portrayal as “the most badass first lady in TV history” and E!’s resident TV critic described Young as her “favorite character on TV ever.”
On the big screen, Young was recently seen in Disney and Ava Duvernay’s A WRINKLE IN TIME. She also recently starred alongside Lou Diamond Philips in the crime thriller, NIGHT STALKER as well as indie projects, BERNARD & HUEY and Zoe Cassavetes’ DAY OUT OF DAYS. Young has appeared alongside some of Hollywood’s biggest stars in films such as Randall Wallace’s WE WERE SOLDIERS with Mel Gibson, Madeleine Stowe, and Greg Kinnear, and JJ Abrams’ MISSION IMPOSSIBLE: III with Tom Cruise, Laurence Fishburne, and Philip Seymour Hoffman. She has also appeared in several independent films including Sundance favorite THE FREEBIE starring Dax Shepard and A COUNTRY REMEDY, which she starred in and produced in her home state of North Carolina.
Young’s extensive television resume includes recurring roles on CRIMINAL MINDS opposite Thomas Gibson, DIRTY, SEXY, MONEY alongside Donald Sutherland and Jill Clayburgh, CSI: MIAMI with David Caruso, the hit-comedy SCRUBS with Zach Braff. Young made her television debut as ‘Dr. Courtney Evens’ on the long-running NBC soap ANOTHER WORLD.
Young began her acting career on stage starring on Broadway in Cy Coleman’s THE LIFE and in the revival of Stephen Sondheim’s MERRILY WE ROLL ALONG. Young also starred in Randy Newman and David Mamet’s FAUST and the first run of Pulitzer Prize winning playwright Landford Wilson’s BOOK OF DAYS.
Singing has been a life-long love for Young. In 2015, she released her debut album Far Away So Close: a collection of contemporary covers influenced by her North Carolina roots. Later that year, she performed at the White House for President Obama and his family in the National Christmas Tree Lighting telecast with Andra Day and Kelsea Ballarini.
Through her philanthropic work, Young serves as the national spokesperson for the Humane Society of The United States’ campaign The Shelter Pet Project, a project promoting animal adoption from shelters and rescue groups. Young has also used her notoriety to bring awareness to Operation Blankets of Love, a donation-based foundation that repurposes comfort items for animals in shelters across the country to raise their quality of life, thereby making them more adoptable. In 2015, Young won “Celebrity Jeopardy,” donating her $50,000 earnings to Operation Blankets of Love. During the Obama Administration, Young served as the Ambassador for The Trust for The National Mall, alongside Chelsea Clinton.
Born in the mountains of Asheville, North Carolina, Young graduated from Yale University with dual degrees in English and Theater Studies; she also holds a certificate from England’s University of Oxford. Young was financially able to attend Yale because of a privately donated scholarship; thanks to Scandal, she is now able to provide an annual scholarship for current Yale Students.