About Mahogany C.A.R.E.S.
OUR MISSION
Our mission is to end the silence and generation cycle of
sexual and domistic vioelence by advocating, educating,
and empowering our community.
OUR STORY
Mahogany CARES was founded in 2010 and was created to bring awareness to issues affecting women, families, and the community. Domestic violence and breast cancer had affected the lives of many of those closest to Cyrena and she saw fit to create an organization that could touch the lives of many while providing them support and resources as they determine their path in life.
Since its inception, Mahogany CARES has and continues to honor survivors and those we have lost from domestic violence breast cancer. In 2010, we began celebrating breast cancer survivors and remembering those who lost their fight through the annual Breast Cancer Awareness event. The event is a day to thank our SHEROES for having the courage to tell their stories to educate others about early detection and save lives through awareness. In May 2017, Mahogany CARES Breast Cancer Survivor Day proclamation was signed by Governor Scott Walker, making October 1st Breast Cancer Survivor Day in the State of Wisconsin.
In 2016, Mahogany CARES wrote a proclamation to make October 21st Domestic Violence Survivor Recognition Day. On this day, we celebrate success after abuse by allowing survivors to share how they overcame & conquered domestic violence and move forward in a positive direction in their lives.
Mahogany CARES is dedicated to bringing awareness to issues that are plaguing our community and supporting those that are affected. Please remember you are not alone. We are here to support and protect you.
OUR FOCUS
Women & Girls’ Wellness and Empowerment — Mind, Body, Spirit, and Family.
We are dedicated to nurturing holistic healing across every dimension of a survivor’s life — physical, mental, spiritual, and generational.
Mahogany CARES is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization.
Mahogany C.A.R.E.S.: A Legacy Carved from Blood Memory, Healing, and Resistance
Cyrena Martin is not just the Founder, Executive Director, and a Therapist—she is a bridge between survival and healing. Her work is not learned; it is lived. It is blood memory—the knowledge passed down through generations of Black women who have fought, endured, and survived. It is the rhythm in her pulse, the wisdom in her bones, and the fire in her purpose.
Mahogany C.A.R.E.S. was not born out of convenience. It was willed into existence—out of necessity, out of urgency, out of love. Built from the resilience of survivors, whispered into being by those who refused to be forgotten, it stands as both refuge and revolution. A place where healing is not only possible but demanded.
For Cyrena, advocacy has never been a career—it has been a calling, a responsibility, and a relentless pursuit of justice. Every step of her journey—from years in customer service to working in insurance, then stepping into human services, and ultimately earning her clinical mental health degree—has prepared her for this. But the true education came from the stories, the moments, and the truths she could not ignore.
She learned early what it meant to exist in spaces not built for her. Raised by white parents in a predominantly white community, she knew the weight of being unseen, the way silence could press against the throat just as forcefully as a hand. She understood, before she had the words for it, how Black women’s pain is often explained away, how their struggles are either invisible or too visible—weaponized, but never tended to.
She saw it firsthand, working in hospital emergency rooms, where women, often with nowhere else to go, arrived battered, broken, and terrified. She realized that for many survivors, the ER was the only place they could speak freely, the only moment they were out of their abuser’s reach. She witnessed the cracks in the system—the way Black women were often overlooked, their pain dismissed, their safety an afterthought.
So she moved.
She trained, studied, and fought to create a space where survivors wouldn’t just be heard, but protected. A space where advocacy wasn’t just a word—it was a lifeline.
Mahogany CARES is More Than a Name—It’s a Promise.
The name Mahogany C.A.R.E.S. is layered with meaning:
- Mahogany is more than Cyrena’s nickname; it represents richness, strength, and the beauty of Black resilience.
- C.A.R.E.S. stands for Community, Advocacy, Resources, Empowerment, and Support—the pillars of this organization’s work.
What began solely as a fight for Black women’s health through breast cancer awareness became something even larger—but never separate. Breast cancer attacks the body, domestic violence breaks the spirit, sexual assault leaves scars deep enough to be carried for generations, yet still—Black women survive. They endure, they rebuild, they carry their own healing even when the world refuses to see their wounds. Mahogany C.A.R.E.S. exists because healing can’t be pieced apart—Black women deserve to be whole, in body, mind, and soul.
A Vision Rooted in Healing, Led by Experience
Mahogany C.A.R.E.S. is not just an organization—it is a movement, a force, and a home for those who have been silenced for too long.
Cyrena Martin does this work because she must—because healing, for Black women, has always been a fight. And because she refuses to let that fight be waged alone.
With new programming, an expanded team, and strategic partnerships, Mahogany C.A.R.E.S. is growing. But no matter how far it reaches, its foundation remains the same: healing is a right, survival is not enough, and Black women deserve more.
Because this work is not just professional—it is ancestral. And Mahogany C.A.R.E.S. is here to honor that legacy.
Meet the Founder and Executive Director
Cyrena Martin, From Victim to Survivor now Advocate
Cyrena Martin is a seasoned advocate and community leader dedicated to supporting survivors of sexual assault, domestic violence, and human trafficking. Originally from Louisville, KY, and now residing in Milwaukee, WI, Cyrena brings both Southern soul with an Urban vibe to her role as CEO and Founder of Mahogany CARES Foundation, Inc. This local nonprofit organization is committed to breaking the cycles of violence and providing survivors with the resources and support they need to heal and thrive.
With over a decade of experience at the Milwaukee Sexual Assault Treatment Center (SATC), Cyrena has served in Advocacy providing compassionate care and guidance to survivors during their most vulnerable moments. She is a certified domestic violence and sexual assault advocate, as well as a graduate student pursuing a degree in Clinical Mental Health Counseling, further strengthening her expertise in trauma and survivor-informed care.
Cyrena’s approach is rooted in holistic wellness, addressing not only the physical and emotional needs of survivors but also their mental, spiritual, and family(generational) healing. She is committed to empowering women and girls by advocating for their safety, supporting their recovery, and promoting awareness around the unique challenges faced by survivors of violence.
As a leader in her field, Cyrena is passionate about collaborating with healthcare professionals, including Sexual Assault Nurse Examiners, to ensure that survivors receive the highest standard of care. Her life’s mission is to advocate for those still in danger, to honor and support fellow survivors, and to remember the loved ones lost to violence.
Cyrena’s guiding philosophy is best captured in her favorite quote:
“We delight in the beauty of the butterfly but rarely admit the changes it has gone through to achieve that beauty.” —Maya Angelou
Her work continues to inspire, motivate, and advocate for a world where survivors are not only supported but empowered.
Board of Directors & Staff
Mahogany CARES Board and staff were chosen based on the needs of the organization. A collaboration of knowledge, expertises, and both professional & personal experiences, all of which continue to have a positive effect on the growth and development of our programs, services and our impact on the women and families we serve.
Join Our Board
We are looking for passionate, driven, empathetic individuals to join our board. If that’s you, please complete our application.
Mahogany CARES Foundation Inc. does not and shall not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion (creed), gender, gender expression, age, national origin (ancestry), disability, marital status, sexual orientation, or military status, in any of its activities or operations. These activities include, but are not limited to, hiring and firing of staff, selection of volunteers and vendors, and provision of services. We are committed to providing an inclusive and welcoming environment for all members of our staff, clients, volunteers, subcontractors, vendors.