Move-In Day Mafia is the brainchild of TeeJ Mercer, AKA "Auntie TeeJ," a self-described loud, proud, insufferable and unapologetic graduate of THEE Howard University.
We are a group volunteers who are HBCU lovers committed to disrupting the "foster care to prison pipeline" and replacing it with the "foster care to HBCU GRADUATE Pipeline"
We are a group volunteers who are HBCU lovers committed to disrupting the "foster care to prison pipeline" and replacing it with the "foster care to HBCU GRADUATE Pipeline"
The Move-In Day Mafia (MIDM) descends upon HBCUs to provide dorm room makeovers and ongoing assistance primarily for freshmen who have aged out of foster care, are unsheltered, or have little to no support.
For the 2023-2024 school year, MIDM is moving in students who will be attending Fisk, Prairie View, or Paul Quinn College. We believe that you have already beat the odds by going to college so we want to come along beside you to remove some of the financial burden so that your dream of graduation becomes a reality.
For the 2023-2024 school year, MIDM is moving in students who will be attending Fisk, Prairie View, or Paul Quinn College. We believe that you have already beat the odds by going to college so we want to come along beside you to remove some of the financial burden so that your dream of graduation becomes a reality.
Back in 2020 when the pandemic snatched graduations from the deserving graduates, Auntie TeeJ jumped into gear with her band of misfit friends and raised over $1 million in cash and prizes. She gave it all away to the 2020 graduates (500 of them) in a series of Bingo games. When CBS Evening News With Norah O'Donnell wanted to feature the "HBCU Bingo," Auntie TeeJ learned that one of her new HBCU Babies, as she affectionately calls them, was a student who had aged out of foster care. When the scholar was accepted into an HBCU, her social worker drove her to school, pulled up to the curb, let her unload her stuff, then left her. That broke Auntie TeeJ's heart so just like "HBCU Bingo" she prayed and asked God to show her what she could do to make sure that no other HBCU student had to face this transition alone. And...
Move-In Day Mafia was born!
Move-In Day Mafia was born!
- A customized dorm room design created by interior design firm Nikki Klugh Design Group. With your input, Nikki’s team will design a space that fosters your creativity and productivity set up to make sure you thrive.
- A group of volunteers to help you move in and set up
- TV
- Refrigerator (If the school does not provide)
- Microwave (If the school does not provide)
- Flash drives
- Towels
- Linens
- Cutlery
- Hygiene items
- Cleaning products
- Snacks
- Basically EVERYTHING you need to kickstart your college journey
- PLUS! CARE PACKAGES FOR YOUR NEEDS THROUGHOUT THE YEAR.
- VERIFIED STUDENT DURING THE 2023-2024 ACADEMIC YEAR AT EITHER: Fisk, Paul Quinn, Prairie View
- FALL INTO AT LEAST ONE OF THE FOLLOWING CATEGORIES
- Aged out of foster care
- Homeless
- Have $0 EFC (Estimated Family Contribution)
- Provide proof of financial status and housing assignment
- IF SELECTED, YOU MUST BE WILLING TO HAVE AT LEAST ONE MONTHLY CHECK-IN WITH MOVE-IN DAY MAFIA STUDENT SUPPORT FOR THE DURATION OF YOUR PARTICIPATION
EXTENDED - APPLY UNTIL AUGUST 6TH!
- APPLICATION SUBMISSION DEADLINE - July 29, 2023 11:59pm PST
- NOTIFICATIONS OF SECOND ROUND - On or Around July 12TH
- INTERVIEWS WITH AUNTIE TEEJ & TEAM - On or Around July 17-19TH
- FINAL NOTIFICATIONS - On or Around July 21ST
If you have any questions, shoot an email to OurScholars@MoveInDayMafia.org