WHO WE ARE

Hope Begins Here.

Restoring Hope. Empowering Families. Transforming Children's Lives.

Community of Saint Mary Magdalene is a federally recognized 501(c)(3) public charity dedicated to protecting vulnerable children, empowering women, and strengthening families in the United States and Africa. Inspired by Christian compassion and committed to human dignity, we work hand in hand with communities and partners to create lasting opportunities through education, healthcare, family support, and sustainable development.

Together, we transform compassion into action, hope into opportunity, and generosity into lasting impact.

Why We Exist

Around the world, millions of children grow up without stable family support, while countless women struggle with poverty, unemployment, and limited access to opportunities. We believe these challenges are deeply interconnected. When women are empowered, families become stronger. When families are strengthened, children are more likely to grow up healthy, educated, and protected.

Our Story

Every organization has a story. Ours begins with faith.

For Community of Saint Mary Magdalene, that moment came on November 21, 2015, when our founder, Claudine Tohouri, received the baptismal name Mary Magdalene during her Catholic baptism. More than a name, it became a lifelong commitment to live a life of compassion, service, and hope.
Some time later, while making a pilgrimage to the Holy Land of Israel, Claudine experienced a profound spiritual calling. She felt inspired to dedicate her life to serving unemployed women, vulnerable families, and children facing poverty, abandonment, and social exclusion. That experience planted the seed of what would eventually become Community of Saint Mary Magdalene.
The organization was first envisioned as a source of hope for unemployed young women living in New Jersey. As the vision grew, it became clear that the needs of women could never be separated from the needs of their children and families. What began as a mission to support women naturally evolved into a broader humanitarian commitment to protect children, strengthen families, and empower communities.
Community of Saint Mary Magdalene was incorporated in the State of New Jersey in March 2022. In December 2025, the organization received federal recognition as a 501(c)(3) public charity, strengthening its ability to mobilize tax-deductible charitable support across the United States, marking the beginning of a structured and sustainable humanitarian mission founded on faith, compassion, integrity, and service.

Today, we proudly operate in New Jersey, United States, and Ivory Coast, West Africa, building bridges of hope between continents while serving vulnerable women, orphaned and parent-separated children, and families facing hardship.
As we continue to grow, we remain guided by a simple conviction: every child deserves hope, every woman deserves opportunity, and every family deserves the chance to thrive. Together with our donors, volunteers, churches, foundations, and community partners, we are building a future where compassion becomes action and hope becomes lasting change.