NEWSLETTER
October 2026
Watercolor 11"×14”
Maina Foundation 5th Annual Art
& Jewelry Sale
&
A Warm Welcome to Our New Board Members
By Manju Soni
Welcome to the Maina Foundation Newsletter!
Hi Friends
It’s October, which is also Breast Cancer Awareness month.
Why not get your holiday shopping done early while supporting Maina Foundation. Our 5 th annual online art sale is now on at the Maina Foundation website! And this year we’ve added amazing handmade jewelry to the collection.
The sale will be on throughout the holiday season.
20% of the proceeds from the sale will be donated to NYC Health and Hospitals Metropolitan Breast Care Center, which provides comprehensive breast cancer care to under-served and vulnerable populations, regardless of their ability to pay.
The model for cancer care focuses on health education and screenings, and to increase access to early intervention and treatment. Magnetic Resonance Imaging, or MRI, plays a significant role in the care of patients who have already received their diagnosis – the imaging will allow physicians to provide timely care to their patients, and therefore, patients to avoid any delay in their treatment due to the staging work up.
Under-served and vulnerable populations often miss or refuse screenings and treatment because of out-of-pocket costs. This funding will directly contribute to paying for procedures and imaging tests that are not available on-site (e.g., MRI Breast) which can significantly alleviate the financial burden.
We hope this online fundraiser will enable us to raise much-needed funds to continue with this program and our mission to raise breast cancer awareness. Please consider supporting our mission by purchasing these beautiful paintings, created by the featured artists.
Mixed Media on Wood Panel 16"x20”
Acrylic and mixed media on Canvas, 20"×20”
NEWS!
Please join us in welcoming two new members to the board of Maina Foundation. These amazing ladies bring a wealth of experience to our board and will no doubt be incredible assets in our fight against breast cancer.
Smita Kulkarni
Smita Kulkarni is a healthcare executive and advocate dedicated to transforming women's health. As the CEO of Selfi, she leads the development of an accessible, at-home self-exam tool designed to empower individuals to take control of their breast health routine. Backed by an extensive background in corporate leadership and strategic alliances—including her tenure as VP of Partnerships at UE LifeSciences—Smita specializes in bridging the gap between consumer health technology and daily preventive wellness.
Her professional mission is deeply personal, driven by the loss of her sister, Nayana, to late-stage breast cancer within six months of diagnosis. This fueled her commitment to regular self-screening and expanded access to early detection resources. As the co-founder of the Breast Cancer Early Detection Coalition and an active member of Women's Health Advocates, Smita advocates for women's health by pushing for easier healthcare access, routine preventive care, and better health education.
Kim Gokhale
Kim Gokhale is a public health and nonprofit leader with close to two decades of experience designing, evaluating, and implementing community health initiatives. As the president of the Austin Marathi Mandal she brings board-relevant strengths in governance, partnership development, grant assessment, fundraising, stakeholder engagement, health equity, and program oversight.
She has led community programming, partnerships, volunteer engagement, and philanthropic initiatives for the Austin-area Marathi community. She has also organized a virtual Breast Cancer Survivor Panel for approximately 100 participants and led Austin Marathi Mandal's $2,300 campaign toward the BMM Women Empowerment Initiative's $11,660 total supporting ASHA workers through Maina Foundation.
She conducted an on-site review of a grant request for Maina Foundation on behalf of BMM she helped advance a partnership supporting Ayushmati, a community-driven cancer awareness and early-detection screening initiative for women. She has secured an American Cancer Society grant and led BELIEVE!, an evidence-based breast-cancer prevention initiative engaging African-American churches, training community health educators, promoting early detection, and building a faith-based community coalition.
Her experience includes leadership in public health where she has supervised case managers and led complex, cross-division initiatives.
Welcome Smita and Kim!
Thank you for your support, stay healthy, and continue screening for you and your loved ones!!
Please consider donating if you have not already, and please forward this newsletter to anyone who may benefit from this information.
Manju Soni, pen name MJ Soni (she/her) is the author of short stories and DEFYING APARTHEID, her part-memoir about being a doctor activist in apartheid South Africa.
Her debut mystery, THE MASALA CHAI MYSTERY CLUB, published on July 21, 2026 by Crooked Lane Books, follows a retired librarian and her chai-loving friends as they investigate the murder of their despised homeowners association president, whose death echoes that of their latest Agatha Christie book club read.
We thank you for your continued support!
For more information on Maina Foundation, and to help its mission, go to https://mainafoundation.org or contact us at 860-434-3985 or info@mainafoundation.org
SAVE A LIFE - DONATE NOW
Donations can also be mailed to:
8 Peppermint Ridge, Old Lyme, CT 06371, USA