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Supporting Our
Community Together
We can connect hearts, transform lives and foster a sense of belonging for everyone
Our Core Initiatives
Empowering change for a brighter tomorrow
Direct Support
We provide direct support through donations. Contributions fund free or affordable Autism evaluations, mental health therapy, and critical supplies like food, water, and hygiene kits for families in need.
Community Engagement
We partner with individuals and groups to host fundraisers, wellness gatherings and awareness events that reduce stigma and uplift both caregivers and those they serve.
Education and Mentorship
Students and early -career professionals gain hands-on experience through internships and field placements that emphasize equity, healing, and community care.
Strategic Partnernships
We work alongside schools, nonprofits, clinical and grassroots organizations to reach under-resourced communities like food, water, and hygiene kits for families in need.
Connecting Hearts and Helping Hands
Building a better future through compassion
The Minette Foundation is an international nonprofit organization 501(c)(3) founded by Mary Taveras Garcia, LCSW-R, and Madeline Maldonado, LCSW-R. We are committed to expanding access to mental health services for all, and to educating communities about mental health and wellness in order to reduce stigma and promote healing.
Through our partnership with Minette Psychotherapy, the Foundation helps cover the cost of services for individuals who are uninsured or unable to afford care. This includes:
Autism diagnostic evaluations
Mental health therapy for children, youth, and adults
Building Bridges of Hope
Our international work promotes education, healing, and family reconnection—so that every woman, man and child has the opportunity to reclaim their story and shape a different future.
Founders
Madeline Maldonado, LCSW-R
Maria Taveras Garcia, LCSW-R
Our Story
To Our Beloved Community,
We founded the Minette Foundation with a shared vision: that every person—regardless of income, insurance status, or geography—deserves access to compassionate, culturally responsive mental health care and essential resources like food, clean water, and hygiene items. As clinicians, educators, and women of Dominican heritage, we have witnessed firsthand the barriers that too many individuals and families face when seeking support. We created this foundation to help change that.
At the Minette Foundation, we believe that healing is a human right. We help cover the cost of mental health services for those who are uninsured or unable to afford copayments or deductibles. We also invest in the well-being of the providers who serve these communities—because their healing matters too.
This work is deeply personal. It is rooted in love, justice, and the belief that when we care for one another, we build stronger, more resilient communities. Whether you are a parent seeking support, a provider in need of care, or a partner ready to collaborate—we see you, we honor you, and we welcome you.
Thank you for being part of this journey with us. Together, we can create a world where access to mental health care and essential resources is not a privilege, but a promise.
With gratitude and solidarity,
Mary Taveras Garcia, LCSW-R
Madeline Maldonado, LCSW-R
Co-Founders, The Minette Foundation
300
Lives Touched
Every Hand Helps Us Grow
Minette Foundation launched their first donation giving drive in December 2025
8
Volunteers
Uniting Hearts and Actions
Our volunteers help to move our mission forward
5 Partners
Milestones of Hope and Change
Our recent partnership with organizations of impact have led sustained giving
Partners in Collaboration
These organizations believe in our mission and hope for change
Hogar Madelaes
A girls’ home in La Victoria, Santo Domingo Norte
Hogar Madelaes provides safety, housing, and comprehensive care for children who are orphaned or living in extreme poverty.
The home supports approximately 40 young girls by offering medical care, academic support, emotional nurturing, and a stable environment that promotes healthy development. Founded through community and faith‑based efforts, the organization continues to operate with the help of local and international partners to ensure the girls receive consistent resources and opportunities.
Hispanic Federation
Hispanic Federation is a national Latino nonprofit that works to empower and advance Hispanic communities through programs in education, health, immigration, civic engagement, economic empowerment, and climate justice.
Across the U.S. and Puerto Rico, they deliver direct services and mobilize resources to support children, youth, families, and immigrants, while advocating for systemic change that improves quality of life for Latino communities.
Sensory Stop Daycare
The Sensory Stop, Inc. offers safe, loving childcare in the Bronx area. Kids learn through curriculum-based, educational activities. The facility is a home daycare providing a safe, nurturing space where kids learn important social skills. Sensory Stop Daycare help to distribute diapers and baby supplies donated to Minette Foundation by the Hispanic Federation, directly to families—both onsite and through home visits. They serve to support access to essential resources.
Beantown
Early Intervention Services of New York
An organization based in Bronx, NY works closely with mothers and families living at or below the poverty line through their involvement in the NYC Early Intervention Program for children ages 0–3. Beantown distributed diapers and baby supplies donated to Minette Foundation by the Hispanic Federation, directly to families—both onsite and through home visits and paired those deliveries with toys collected during their December 3rd toy drive, bringing additional joy and relief to families during the holiday season.
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SparkLife International
SparkLife International is a nonprofit organization in Ghana focused on empowering women and children through education, healthcare, menstrual hygiene support, vocational training, and community development initiatives.
They also work to prevent human trafficking and exploitation by providing safety education, resources, and reintegration support for vulnerable youth and families. Minette Foundation helped them to fund their International Women's Day event on March 8, 2026, and to purchase refreshments and small gifts for the women that attended, and they purchased 5 sewing machines to help local women to launch their own home-based seamstress businesses.
Upcoming Events
Mark your calendar
Minette FoundationIn support of our ongoing efforts and work with families, children, and women facing financial barriers - both locally and in the Dominican Republic.
Help Us Grow
Your contribution makes a huge difference. Though U.S.-registered, the Minette Foundation operates globally partnering with providers and organizations to create tangible, cross-border impact and uplift women, men, children, and families. Our international work promotes education, healing, and family reconnection—so that every woman, man and child has the opportunity to reclaim their story and shape a different future.
Get in Touch
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