Compassion
Because every family deserves to be seen.
Our Story
From the Dominican Republic to New York City.
Two suitcases and a stubborn faith.
Mario and Olga came to New York City decades ago carrying very little — two suitcases, a stubborn faith, and the conviction that whatever the Lord gave them was meant to be shared. They built their life one shift, one Sunday, one borrowed pot of arroz at a time. Even in the leanest years, the kitchen table was never set for just the two of them.
An open door becomes a calling.
What began as Olga handing a plate to whichever neighbor knocked grew, slowly and almost without anyone noticing, into something larger. A young mother sleeping on a couch. A primo just off the bus from Santiago. A widow who couldn't face Christmas alone. The door stayed open. The pot kept stretching. People stopped asking how she did it and just started calling her Mamá.
Why a foundation, and why now.
After years of doing this quietly out of their own pocket, Mario and Olga's children and friends gently insisted: this is too much beauty to keep informal. The Mamá Olga Foundation gives the work a home — a way for the wider community to walk alongside them, to make sure the table can keep growing, and to make sure no one who knocks ever finds the door closed.
The cruet that didn't empty.
There was a year early on when there really wasn't enough. I remember a Tuesday — the fridge was bare, two visitors at the door, no plan. By Sunday there was a plan. By the next Sunday there was a meal. By the Sunday after that, three more. After a while we stopped asking too many questions about that little jar of oil. We just kept tipping it over the next plate, and the next door, and the next stranger. It has been tipping for forty years. We do not deserve it. We are very grateful.
"Lo que Dios nos da, lo compartimos. — What the Lord gives us, we share."
— — Olga Sena
Vision
A steady source of hope.
To be a steady source of hope for families in need, providing practical, compassionate help that transforms lives. We want to lift up stable homes, support educational dreams, and make sure no child or adult goes hungry — first in the United States and, in time, internationally. We dream of a community where every person can rise, move forward, and live with dignity, trusting that God uses generous hands and willing hearts to restore what need tries to break.
Mission
Meeting real needs with willing hands.
The Mamá Olga Foundation exists to identify, support, and meet real and urgent needs in qualified families, providing help in three essential areas: food, housing and moving, and scholarships and school support. Our mission is rooted in the biblical principle revealed in the story of the widow in 2 Kings 4, where God took the little she had and multiplied it until every available vessel was filled. That divine multiplication is the heart of this foundation. We don't simply give for the sake of giving. We listen, we discern with love, we pray, and we attend to each case to meet what is truly a genuine need in the moment. Our mission is to be a practical, sensitive, and organized response for families walking through hard seasons — extending grace, resources, and support so every home can find stability, relief, and dignity.
“And Elisha said unto her, What shall I do for thee? Tell me, what hast thou in the house? And she said, Thine handmaid hath not any thing in the house, save a pot of oil.”
2 Kings 4:2 (KJV)
Hands and hearts behind the table.
The Mamá Olga Foundation was born from a family — and the friends who have walked alongside it through years of quiet service.
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Names, moments, and meals shared.
We don't measure the foundation in headcounts. We measure it in plates passed across the table, rents covered before the eviction notice, and primos who slept on the couch until they didn't have to anymore. A few of those stories live below — names changed, dignity kept.
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Multiply these by every week, every month, for many quiet years. That is the work.
Values
What sustains the work.
Transparency
Because help should be honest and clear.
Dignity
Because we meet need without judgment or shame.
Unity
We believe in working together to transform lives.
Purpose
We respond to real situations, not repeated patterns — to what God places before us in the moment.
Founder legacy
Before there was a foundation, there was a table.
For years, Mario and Olga Sena have served quietly, given generously, fed families, supported employees, encouraged people through difficult seasons, and opened doors for others to grow. The foundation now gives structure to that legacy so the work can be documented, sustained, and carried forward with integrity for future generations.
Leadership & accountability
Guided with dignity and care.
Mamá Olga Foundation is guided by leaders committed to serving families with dignity, accountability, faith, and practical care. Our board and leadership help protect the mission, steward resources, support programs, and build partnerships that strengthen families and communities.
Board & leadership
Serving the mission with care, accountability, and vision.
Bios, photos, and official foundation emails are pending approval.
Mario Sena
President & Director
Danny Sena
Vice President & Director
Olga Sena
Secretary & Director
Grace-Ann Johnson
Treasurer & Director
Olga Henriquez
Public Relations & Director
Our supporters
Grateful for those who make the work possible.
Mamá Olga Foundation is grateful for the individuals, families, businesses, churches, and community partners who help make this work possible.
Supporter recognition will be published here once approved.
Our Mission
Mama Olga Foundation, Inc. is a faith-rooted nonprofit that serves families in New York City and beyond through food, housing support, education, trusted community resources, and compassionate follow-up.
A Note on Our Name
“Mamá Olga Foundation” is the public-facing name we use for our cultural and Spanish-language identity. The organization's registered legal name is Mama Olga Foundation, Inc.