My name is Nelly Cuenca, a mom, business owner, and nonprofit leader based in Dallas, Texas. As the Founder of MaaPaa, my mission has always been to support mothers and the young boys they are raising to become strong leaders in our community.

Recently, our MaaPaa storage unit was stolen. A police report has been filed, and a neighbor is currently reviewing camera footage to help identify what happened.

When we realized what had happened, the emotions came all at once: sadness, shock, anger, and disbelief.

What makes this loss especially painful is that it wasn’t just a storage unit — it held the hope of something we were building for our community. The beginnings of a dream: a place where families in need could walk in and find clothing, dignity, and support. Losing it felt like having a piece of that dream taken away.

The estimated value of what was taken is approximately $160,000.

But while this loss hurt deeply, it also reminded us why this work matters so much. The need around us is real, and the families we serve are counting on MaaPaa.

That’s why we are continuing to move forward and asking our community to stand with us. Our larger goal is $300,000 so we can not only recover from this loss but also purchase a permanent home for MaaPaa instead of continuing to rent — creating a stable place where we can provide clothing, food, books, and support for years to come.