The Room to Dream Foundation, a Boston-based non-profit organization dedicated to creating healing environments for children and adolescents suffering from chronic illnesses, is pleased to announce the appointment of HGTV celebrity Taniya NayakSportsHub host Damon Amendolara and NECN’s TV Diner’s producer and host of Jenny Cam Jenny Johnson to their Honorary Board of Directors. 

Taniya Nayak is currently the host and designer of HGTV’s show, Destination Design, which premiered in March 2010. In addition to Destination Design, Taniya contributes to a number of HGTV mainstays including Designed to Sell, Showdown and Bang for Your Buck. Prior to her career at HGTV, Taniya received her master’s in Interior Design at Boston Architectural College, and went on to land her first TV gig on ABC Family’s Knock First, working for Scout Productions, the creators of Queer Eye for the Straight Guy. In 2005 Taniya started her design firm, Taniya Nayak Design, based in Milton, MA., and her work can be seen in such well-known Boston hotspots including Felt, BarLola Restaurant, 88 Wharf and Vinalia. 

Damon Amendolara has hosted the evening show on Boston’s 98.5, The Sports Hub, since its launch in August 2009. Damon also appears as the sideline reporter for the New England Revolution on Comcast and appears weekly on Fox-25 News. In addition, he is a regular contributor to NFL Films and the NFL Network’s “Top 10″ series, while also appearing as a regular fill-in host at WFAN in New York. He has done extensive charity work for causes like the Boys and Girls Clubs, the Bridge Home, the KCMO Little League and Big Brothers/Big Sisters. Prior to coming to Boston, Damon worked at 610 Sports in Kansas City, WQAM in Miami and Sportsradio 770 in Ft. Myers, FL. He graduated from Syracuse University in 2001 and is originally from Warwick, NY. 

Jenny Johnson has been the Executive Producer of NECN’s restaurant show, TV Diner, since 2007, and is the star of the TV Diner segment, The Jenny Cam, where she travels around New England discovering trendy spots and taking the viewers inside the hottest and most exclusive events in Boston. In addition to TV Diner and The Jenny Cam, she is also NECN’s Culture and Lifestyle Reporter. Prior to NECN, Jenny worked for a start up television station XYtv, where she hosted, wrote and produced for the show Secret Lives. Raised in Marblehead, MA., Jenny graduated from the University of New Hampshire where she majored in Communications.  

Chairman of the board, Stefan M. Nathanson is thrilled to have Nayak, Amendolara and Johnson join the board, stating “It’s an honor to work with such talented individuals while we all work towards one common goal; bringing joy to the lives of children in need.” 

The Room to Dream Foundation focuses its services on children and families living in low- and moderate-income urban and suburban areas. The foundation raises funds to purchase furnishings and supplies tailored to the specific needs of the child and family. It then relies on the caring generosity of professional and amateur artists, interior designers, builders and others who volunteer their time to transform living spaces to give children and adolescents room to dream of a healthier future. As they recuperate and recover, the hope is that their renovated spaces will improve their quality of life, promote strength, imagination, self-worth, and aid in their recovery processes.  The foundation typically undertakes six to eight projects a year relying entirely on donations and volunteer work. 

To learn more about The Room to Dream Foundation, call (617) 332-3066 or visit the foundation’s website, www.roomtodreamfoundation.org or follow them on Facebook at www.facebook.com/roomtodreamfoundation.