MAU Foundation

About MAU Foundation

The MAU (Mauricio "Mau" Angels United) Foundation was founded in 2019 by Jacqueline "Jackie" Toledo in honor of her late husband, Mauricio "Mau" Saavedra, whose life was tragically cut short by gun violence. Out of profound loss, Jackie transformed pain into purpose by building an organization dedicated to supporting families in crisis and bridging the gap between those in need and those with resources to give. The Foundation began when Jackie realized she had a surplus of unused medical supplies from Mau's recovery. Having been in a position of needing immense support while caring for Mau and their children, leaving her unable to work and the family without income as Mau needed assistance, she felt called to pay it forward. Jackie shipped the supplies to families in Venezuela, igniting her mission to help others. With the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, Jackie was aware of how many local families became vulnerable overnight due to job losses, illness, and uncertainty. It was the same position she had faced when Mau was shot in 2018. This shifted her focus to the local community, collecting and distributing essentials to neighbors in need. Jackie then connected with Abbey Gadinsky-Snyder, a suburban mom cleaning out her house during quarantine who wanted to donate directly to families. Jackie compiled a database of struggling families, while Abbey rallied donors. Together, they picked up donations, delivered them, and used their homes as storage hubs. By 2021, with the support of Diana Mulle, who became vital to operations, the team opened their first resource center. Today, the MAU Foundation serves as a community lifeline, providing essentials through partnerships with grocery stores, community organizations, and donors. MAU Foundation hosts weekly food distributions, monthly events, and seasonal drives such as Back-to-School, Thanksgiving, Holiday Toy Drive, and Easter. Together, we turn tragedy into transformation, and compassion into action.

View contact profiles from MAU Foundation