Leadership

Charmaine Elaine Reyes-Chu, known as Charm, is the Founder and President of Magical New Beginnings. A single mother of four, entrepreneur, and community builder, she brings lived experience, determination, and compassion to her work. Having experienced homelessness herself, Charm understands how meaningful practical support can be when a family is working toward stability.

Giving back has always been close to Charm’s heart. She has volunteered at food banks, clothing closets, and the library, and founded I.E. & O.C. Mommies Helping Mommies to help mothers connect, share resources, and support one another.

Since opening Magical New Beginnings Thrift Shop in 2020, she has worked to connect families with affordable essentials and build a community rooted in dignity and belonging. Her nonprofit vision extends beyond meeting immediate needs: she wants families to gain the resources, knowledge, and confidence to create lasting change.

Charm’s mission is to empower, support, and transform lives through essential assistance, education, community connections, and opportunities for growth. She also advocates for greater support for parents navigating the needs of children with disabilities.

At the heart of her leadership is a simple belief: struggle does not have to define the outcome. Like a butterfly’s transformation, a difficult chapter can lead to a beautiful new beginning.

Compassion is her passion, and empowerment is her purpose.

Cindy is an accounting professional with more than 20 years of experience and a licensed notary public. Fluent in English and Mandarin Chinese, she brings valuable professional experience and the ability to connect across languages to Magical New Beginnings.

As a mother of two and a grandmother, Cindy understands the importance of family and the support it takes to build a stable future. As the founder’s mother, her connection to the nonprofit is deeply personal. She shares its commitment to helping families feel supported, access essential resources, and find opportunities for a new beginning.

DesRee Reyna brings lived experience, compassion, and a commitment to community to Magical New Beginnings. Having grown up in foster care and experienced homelessness after aging out, she understands how difficult it can be to move forward without a dependable support system. Her experiences, including the loss of her firstborn son, have shaped her dedication to supporting former foster youth, single mothers, and anyone who has ever felt alone.

As a single mother raising her daughter, DesRee knows how meaningful accessible resources and a caring community can be. Through her role, she organizes events, builds fundraising connections, and helps communicate the nonprofit’s mission so more families know where to turn for support. She wants every person and parent to feel heard, valued, and comfortable asking for help.

Having found a community for herself and her daughter, DesRee hopes to help others find that same sense of belonging. Outside of her work, she enjoys photography, music, and time with her little girl. At the heart of her commitment is a simple belief: everyone deserves support, and no one should have to face life’s hardest moments alone.