 If you are new here... welcome to the Mafia Miracle Report. Every week I share what is happening inside Move-In Day Mafia, a nonprofit that supports foster care and unhoused college scholars at HBCUs with dorm room makeovers, care packages, move-in support, and community. I'm TeeJ, the founder and I'm glad you're here. Whelp! It's summertime and school is out for our scholars. Which means some are couch surfing. Some are working regular jobs, grinding through summer the best they can. That is real and I never want to gloss over it. But I also want you to see what else is happening. Because this week I sat down and looked at what some of our scholars are doing this summer and I couldn't be more proud. These are kids who lost parents. Kids who slept in cars and behind stores. Kids who aged out of the system with nothing and nobody. Kids who showed up to their first day of college with everything they owned in a trash bag. Look at what their summer looks like. A.D. — Clark Atlanta University is heading to Cornell for a summer research program and already presenting his research! How cool is that?! M.C. — Morehouse College just wrapped an internship with the Georgia Legislative Black Caucus. Now he is turning around and doing research at Morehouse School of Medicine. He is building his resume and I'm here for all of it. G.T. — Paul Quinn College just graduated and messed around and got hired full-time at Wells Fargo. And she is getting her first apartment. Adulthood looks good on her. W.N. — Delaware State University left for a Walt Disney World internship in food service. Maybe she's learning to make Mickey, Minnie, Donald, and Goofy's favorite dishes. D.J. — Spelman College landed an internship at Northwestern University in Chicago and I already know she's gonna kill it. W.A. — Savannah State University started her internship at Prevention Point Philadelphia, a nonprofit that serves people who are unhoused and struggling with addiction. She knows what hard looks like up close. And now she is walking into someone else's hard story, ready to help. A.J. — Fisk University had a couple of internship offers and decided on one all the way in San Jose, California. L.M. — Lane College got accepted into the Summer Research STEM Academy. Maaaaan are kids are super scholars. W.Z. — Prairie View A&M University has offers from both MD Anderson and UT Texas. At the time I'm writing this, she is still deciding. W.Z. has TWO options and is choosing between them. Read that again. B.N. — Prairie View A&M University is studying abroad. In Barbados. Yeah...you read that right...Barbados. H.K. — Florida A&M University is presenting her research at Florida State this summer. Getting paid to do it. Moving into her first apartment. And working on her driver's license before August. Three wins. At once. S.D. — Prairie View A&M University has plans to go to Honduras with a friend's family. She is also learning day trading and studying for her life and health insurance license. I don't know when she sleeps. D.F. — North Carolina A&T University is heading to Washington, D.C. with the National Foster Youth Institute. She will be shadowing a congressman. Working alongside delegates on advocacy for young people who have been in foster care. She is using her own story to change policy. Mafia Miracle Makers...YOU did that! You are the wings beneath our kids' wings. Every one of those names up there belongs to a kid who had every reason not to make it this far. Some lost parents to addiction. Some aged out of the system the day they turned 18 with nowhere to go. Some survived abuse that would have broken most adults. Some put themselves through high school while taking care of their younger siblings. And you stayed in their corner. Through care packages and move-in days and $25 Visa cards so they could get to a job interview. Through every little thing that added up to a scholar who now has somewhere to be this summer. This is where it went. And I'm grateful.  Every month when our scholars submit their care package requests, they have to finish a sentence. They choose one: “I’m grateful that…” “I’m excited that…” “I’m looking forward to…” So we like to share some with you:   I was listening to the Diary of a CEO podcast recently. The guest was James Clear, who wrote Atomic Habits. And one thing he said went off like a sonic boom in my spirit. "Consistency beats intensity every time." I've been sitting with that ever since. At 53, I am in a whole new phase of life. Menopause is real and it is an adjustment. My body has changed. The rules have changed. And one of the first things to go was my relationship with working out. In my 20s and 30s, I was an intense workout person. I mean intense. Miss a day and I would beat myself up about it. That was my thing. That was my identity. Hard, consistent, punishing effort. Except my body is telling me now that intensity is actually working against me. What served me then does not serve me now. And I had to learn to give myself grace around that. So when James said that, something unlocked. He talked about a marathon. You can sign up for one, train for months, cross that finish line, and feel incredible. That is intensity. But it is a moment, a BIG moment that deserves celebrating. But! It is the walk you take on a Tuesday morning when you do not feel like it. The workout you show up for in February when nobody is watching and nothing exciting is happening. The years of ordinary days that has nothing to do with any race or any event. No celebrating. A marathon does not necessarily translate to healthy. You need the daily walk. The consistent workout. The habit that keeps going whether there is something to train for or not. That is what actually changes your body. That is where the real benefit lives. Whatever you are building right now, please hear me. You do not have to be intense every single day. You just have to keep going. I spent years thinking that taking it easy meant I was falling behind. I know now it just means I'm still in the game. Remember...consistency beat intensity every time! Hug yourself for me and I'll see you next week. In the meantime, like, comment, subscribe and share. Plus, early bird tickets for this year's annual fundraiser, THEE HBCU BINGO XPERIENCE, are on sale. This Bougie Bingo goes down Saturday, July 11th live in Atlanta at the Morrow Center at 7pm. MoveInDayMafia.org/HBCUBingo  If you are new here... welcome to the Mafia Miracle Report. Every week, I share what is happening inside Move-In Day Mafia, a nonprofit that supports foster care college scholars with monthly care packages, move-in support, and community. I'm TeeJ. Glad you're here. Last move-in season, something happened at our Atlanta schools that still makes me smile. But first, let me back up. One of the things we've learned as Mafia has grown is how many gaps our scholars face that I never even thought about before. And I mean never. Because it was never my reality. When I was at Howard, summer was easy. My Uncle Rosco lived 25 minutes from campus. My stuff went in his garage during my summers. Done. No stress. No logistics. Just...my reliable Uncle Rosco. Our scholars don't have an Uncle Rosco. When the school year ends and the dorms close, everything they own is in question. There's no family garage. No mom's spare room. No "just leave it here until August." For a student without a stable home, May is not just the end of the school year. It's a logistics crisis. Enter U-Haul College Boxes!!!!! Their program is built specifically for college students. Before summer break, scholars get boxes and packing materials delivered to them. U-Haul picks everything up, stores it all summer, and delivers it right back to campus when they return. For a student with a family to go home to, it's convenient. For our scholars? It's everything.  This makes the second year that Sophia and her team at College Boxes will ride with us. And let me tell you... Sophia does NOT play when it comes to these babies. One of our Clark Atlanta scholars said it better than I ever could. She was filling out her May care package request form where they are required to finish a sentence stem where she chose to tell us... "I'm very thankful for Move-In Day Mafia and the College Boxes company for helping me to be able to move my stuff out safely and put it in storage so that I can come back to it." I was so touched that we, through College Boxes, were able to give her that peace by taking one more stress off of her. That is why this work matters. We fill gaps that others take for granted without even realizing it. And then last move-in season... College Boxes took it even further. At our Atlanta move-in, mixed in with our usual crew of volunteers, there were amazing men who looked like they'd come straight from a work shift, working with their strong hands. Work gear. Ready to move. Lifting heavy boxes up stairwells. Moving furniture. Hanging posters. Sweating right alongside everybody else in the brutal August heat. Admittedly, this was new and I was intrigued. Who sent them? How did they end up here? How'd they here about us? Come to find out... THE LOCAL U-HAUL SENT THEM! THEY WERE ACTUALLY MOVERS! The local U-Haul had organized it. Sophia facilitates and coordinates everything on the College Boxes side, and she made sure her people showed up. Not just with boxes. With PEOPLE! They send boxes so our kids don't lose their stuff over the summer. They gave us Sophia, who coordinates and organizes everything so it runs without a hitch. And now they send volunteers from their own team, from their own community, to stand next to us and move our scholars into dorms. That is not a sponsor. That is a partner. And I love that for Mafia! When people who don't look like our scholars, don't come from our community, don't share our specific experience... when they show up anyway, because someone at U-Haul said "go help"? That is what it looks like when an organization actually believes in what we're doing. Boots. On. The ground. Incredibly grateful to the College Boxes team and my new friends from the Atlanta location.  And if you have a college student in your life, whether they're in our program or not, go check them out. CollegeBoxes.com. These are good people doing good work and they deserve your business.  Every month when our scholars submit their care package requests, they have to finish a sentence. They choose one: “I’m grateful that…” “I’m excited that…” “I’m looking forward to…” So we like to share some with you:   Mafia Miracle Maker, I'll be honest with you. I always knew corporate partners would come. When I started Move-In Day Mafia, I had a picture in my head of what this thing would look like one day. Maybe five years in. Maybe ten. A real operation. Established. Proven. The kind of org that companies would want to attach their name to. I could see it out there in the distance. I just didn't think it would happen this fast. We were still figuring things out when U-Haul College Boxes came in. Still learning the gaps. Still discovering what our scholars actually needed once they got to campus. And here comes a national company saying: we see you, we believe in what you're doing, and we're all in. I didn't go looking for them as a partner. I was simply investigating the cost. And God sent them. Early. Before I had the fancy deck. Before the track record was long. Before I felt "ready" for that kind of partnership. My mind is still blown. Because I thought I had at least five more years before something like this would happen. And God said: no, baby. Right now. So whatever you're building right now, I need you to hear me. Don't put a timeline on when the right people will show up. Don't talk yourself out of the ask because you think you're not far enough along yet. I want you to think about the partnership, the collaboration, the ask that you keep pushing to "someday." The one you're saving for when you feel more established. More credible. More ready. Someday might show up sooner than you think. Here's my question for you today: What's the call you keep almost making? What's the partnership you've been circling? What's the ask you've been rehearsing in the shower but not saying out loud? What door are you standing in front of, telling yourself it's not for someone like you? Make the call. The worst they can say is no. And sometimes, they send people. The world needs what happens when you stop waiting to be ready. I'll see you next week but before I go...May's Adopt A Scholar Week kicked off yesterday. If you have the budget, please pop over to MoveInDayMafia.org/AdoptAScholar Grab an item or two. It's summer for some of our scholars, and they are not on campus; some are even couch surfing, so you will find that some of our schools are only Visa Gift cards since Amazon delivery times can be unpredictable. Thank you for all you do and making Move-In Day Mafia your favorite charity.  Haaaaaaappy Friday. Oooooooweeee. Pull up a chair for this one because we have been building to this moment for weeks. We spent the last few weeks highlighting this year's grads in our Finish Line & Front Door series. To read our first four stories... A.J. from Fisk. A.O. from Delaware State. B.C. from Benedict College. G.T. from Paul Quinn. And now we are here. Meet our fifth. M.N. from Lane. But first...just in case you are new here. Move-In Day Mafia is the family that shows up for HBCU students who have aged out of foster care, are unhoused, or are navigating college under severe financial hardship. We don't just move them in. We stay. Four years. Monthly care packages. Because getting in is one thing. Staying, is where everything gets tested. We are family. Mafia Miracle Makers, as I like to call it. MEET M.N. Lane College. Jackson, Tennessee. Interdisciplinary Studies, English and Arts. From Memphis. M.N. had been in the foster care system since she was three years old. Three. Her parents struggled with mental health and criminal activities. There were stretches when M.N. and her siblings were left alone for months. No lights. No water. Neighbors would check in to make sure they were still breathing. Her brother is currently serving six life sentences. She was barely two years old when that happened. She and her sisters were split up. Moved around. Sometimes with family who were abusive. Sometimes with families dealing with their own housing instability. Then, when M.N. was 7, one foster family took all three sisters together. That held for a while until... M.N. came out as gay at 17, and they put her out. She went to live with friends. Couch-surfed from Memphis to Nashville to Arkansas. She was diagnosed with major depressive disorder and anxiety. She got to college and failed out freshman year. Took a year and a half off with nowhere to land. At one point, she slept behind an AutoZone. Outside...behind an Autozone. Can you even imagine? And then she decided...just that simple...decided: "I didn't want to be broke my whole life." That decision was made by a young girl...behind an AutoZone...who got tired of the story she was living and decided it was time to write a different one. I'm thankful for resilience. She packed up what she had. And got herself back to Lane College. But this time? Different resolve. Different maturity. Different M.N. She locked in. And...she...killed...the...game. The young lady who entered foster care at three graduated #4 in her class.  WITH INK ON HER HANDS & A NEEDLE IN HER POCKET Out of all of that chaos, all of that instability, all of those years of just trying to survive, something unexpected grew. Art. Art rose up and she ran with it. I'm jumping up and down now. Watch where her art took M.N. Five art galleries. M.N. participated in five of them while she was in school. A tattoo apprenticeship. Competitive. Thousands of applicants. Selected based on the strength of her portfolio alone. She won. Her first commissioned pieces. She sold them while she was still a student. The President's List. Seven consecutive semesters. Not once. Not twice. Seven straight semesters, she was on that list. President of three clubs at the same time. Robotics. Art club. Creative writing. Business owner. Tutor. Student worker. Peer mentor. All at once. All while holding her grades. And now she is being commissioned to paint murals.  She watched Ink Masters as a kid. She loved art, poetry, cartoons, color. She has a dream of making Afrocentric animation, of working for Studio Ghibli one day. And while she was in college, surviving and building, she took a tattoo needle and turned it into a career. She didn't wait until after graduation. She built the business inside the degree. That is discipline. That is vision. That is what happens when someone decides their history is not going to be their destination. And when a community of people shows up to make sure they have everything they need to prove it. YOU SHOULD BE PROUD TOO In the last four years of doing Mafia, the biggest thing I've noticed is how taking care of their basic needs enables these scholars' minds to explore, expand, and take flight. Every month, they submit their care package wishlists. And every month, I learn something about who they are by what they ask for. M.N. asked for a tattoo chair. Not a pillow. Not a candle. A tattoo chair. Because she wasn't just getting through school. She was building a business inside of it. When you bought that tattoo chair, you were investing in an entrepreneur who hadn't graduated yet. When you grabbed that stencil printer, you were stocking the studio of an artist who was already turning her art into a career before she ever walked across a stage. And then there were the Rice Krispies Treats Crispy Marshmallow Squares, the Gatorade, the Pringles, the Doritos, the Cheetos. Every. Single. Month. When you tossed those in the cart, you were sending her a little piece of joy on the days the grind got heavy. And then there was the month she ordered a whole stack of Manga and Anime books. You bought them. When you said yes to her wishlist, month after month, you were saying: we see all of you. That was YOU, Mafia Miracle Maker. You were not just sending supplies. You were sending proof that somebody believed she was worth investing in. Your investment plus her tenacity, her determination, her refusal to quit...walked across that graduation stage as #4 in her class. Ready to help us celebrate FIVE graduating seniors? This year we have five scholars crossing the stage. The most we have ever had in one year. We are covering their graduation regalia, fees, and gifts so they walk across that stage feeling every bit of what they earned. If you've got $1, $10, $100 or whatever feels right, it all goes toward that moment. 👉🏾 MoveInDayMafia.org/Graduates  Usually, this section shares screenshots from a variety of our scholars but in celebration of M.N., here are a few of hers.   Last week I told you I was writing to you from New York City. I went to be in the studio for the final taping of the Sherri {Shepherd} Show. To be front row for my friend, the same way she has been front row for me. You already know that story. What I did not tell you is that I came home with a souvenir nobody asked for. A bug. A full-on, knocked-me-flat, had-me-in-bed-since-Friday bug. And here is the thing. I have a lot going on right now. Applications are open. Move-In Season is coming. HBCU Bingo, our in-person fundraiser in July, is coming. So I fought it. I pushed through. I kept telling myself I didn't have time to rest. And my body said: yes, you do. I finally had to stop. Lie down. Let my body do what it was trying to do. And somewhere in the stillness, I remembered something I already knew. My healing comes in rest. Delaying rest was not making me stronger. It was making recovery harder and longer. I was working against myself. I also had to trust that God is not surprised by my timing. He knew the Sherri taping was last week. He knows Move-In Season is coming. He knows about HBCU Bingo coming up. He knows about all of it. So, my getting sick didn't just pop up on Him. Which means maybe the rest was part of the plan, too. Some days, doing your best looks like a full calendar and a packed schedule. And some days, doing your best looks like pulling the covers up and letting your body heal. Both are doing your best. If you are running on empty right now, pushing through something you probably should have sat down with a long time ago, I want to ask you something. What would happen if you trusted that the work will still be there after you rest? Because it will be. And you will do it better when you are whole. Rest is not quitting. Rest is preparation. See you next week, Mafia Miracle Maker. And don't forget... You can donate to our graduate fund through next week. 👉🏾MoveInDayMafia.org/Graduates Thank you for being the community that showed up for M.N. And for all five of them. Hug yourself for me. Like, comment, share and subscribe.  I MISCALCULATED. Haaaaaaappy Friday. I am writing to you from New York City today. Not Atlanta. Last Wednesday, I told you we would reveal the last scholar in The Finish Line & The Front Door series. I had it all planned out. But then I got on a plane. I needed to be in the studio for the last taping of the Sherri Show. You might know Sherri as an Emmy Award winner, a former co-host of The View, a New York Times bestselling author, and one of the most recognized faces in entertainment. Tyler Perry recently cast her in Straw, and she killed it. She is one of the funniest standup comics working today. And I get to call her "friend." A 25-year friend to be exact. And my girl is closing a chapter...her show is ending. I needed to be in this studio. Front row. The same way she has been front row for me more times than I can count. Some things you do not miss. You just show up. There is more about all of this later in the newsletter. Keep reading. Two Things. I'll have to write the last Finish Line & Front Door scholar next week. But today, I need to talk to you as a sister friend, not as the nonprofit founder of Move-In Day Mafia, which, by the way, is the family that shows up for HBCU students who have aged out of foster care, are unhoused, or are navigating college under severe financial hardship. We don't just move them in. We stay. Four years. Monthly care packages. Because getting in is one thing. Staying is where everything gets tested. We are family. Mafia Miracle Makers, as I like to call it. Now. Let's Celebrate. I have to shout about two of our scholars one more time. PRAIRIE VIEW, TEXAS. You remember L.I.? And remember a few weeks ago, several of you chipped in $1,200 so she could buy the materials she needed to run for SGA President at Prairie View A&M. Well. L.I. has been elected the 45th Student Government Association President of Prairie View A&M University for the 2026–2027 academic year. OMG OMG OMG SHE DID IT. And not only that. She is only the 5th woman ever to hold that title in the history of that institution. She entered foster care at 15. Her original plan wasn't college. It was a warehouse job. Get to work. Survive. She runs the Hill now. Congratulations, Madam President. We see you. And then there's W.N. Our Delaware State scholar who landed a Disney internship. Yeah. That Disney. Some of you moved fast when we asked about airline miles and hotel points to help her get there. Thank you. We got her flight covered, but now we are working on the hotel. She needs a hotel for a couple of days before her official housing check-in. May 16th is coming fast, so if you have hotel reward points, please email us at [email protected]. If you want to donate... → Chip in for W.N.'s Disney trip W.N. worked too hard to miss this over a few-night stay in a hotel. The Morning My Phone Blew Up Last week, my phone started going off. Instagram notifications. Text messages. Back to back to back. I was first terrified, thinking those nude photos of me dancing at Magic City to make money for Move-In Day Mafia had been leaked.😜 It was not that. What it WAS... was Sherri. Apparently, on that day's show, she had shared a story about one of our conversations in her opening monologue. And it had resonated with her audience in a way that had comments blowing up and strangers sending me the clip. See...what had happened was... The Call. Sherri called me early one morning. I am not a morning person at all. I had no business being awake at that hour. But for some reason, that morning, I was up. I answered and immediately heard her hyperventilating. My heart dropped. The only thing running through my mind was her son, Jeffrey. I started talking her down. Slow. Calm. Getting her to breathe. It took a few minutes before I could actually understand what she was saying. And when I finally did? It wasn't Jeffrey. For the first time in her entire career, Sherri Shepherd, the woman who has performed standup in front of thousands, co-hosted national television for years, and acted in major films, was completely freaking out about... An audition. A Broadway musical audition. First time ever. She was so nervous that she said she needed to sing. And if you know Sherri, her singing capabilities begin and end at karaoke. She told me how tired she was from the long hours she'd been putting in. How she'd practiced so much that her voice was gone and now her voice sounds like "fried chicken." Yeah, that's exactly what she said. I don't know what fried chicken sounds like at all. Do you? Having to think quickly before she completely lost it, I simply told her...well...how 'bout I just let HER tell you.   What I did not expect was what happened after. At the taping and again at the wrap party, once they realized I was there, members of Sherri's staff told me the same advice had helped them, too. People who had been in that studio every day. People who had watched Sherri build something for years and were now feeling the weight of it ending. They needed to run God's receipts, too. Maybe you do as well.  Every month when our scholars submit their care package requests, they have to finish a sentence. They choose one: “I’m grateful that…” “I’m excited that…” “I’m looking forward to…” So we like to share some with you:  Well Mafia Miracle Maker, that's a wrap for this week. I'll see you next week for the last Finish Line Scholar. I will not miscalculate this time. Until then, don't forget to donate to W.N.'s travel expenses or email [email protected] Don't have the budget right now? You can always smack the "share" button. That helps too. Hug yourself for me! TeeJ "The Godfather" Move-In Day Mafia  We're Baaaaaaaaack. Haaaaaaappy Friday. A few weeks ago, we started The Finish Line & The Front Door series. We have FIVE SENIORS GRADUATING this year in Move-In Day Mafia. The most we have ever had in a single year. Five young people who pushed through the hard days, the confusing days, the days that just did not make sense... and are now standing right at the edge of something new. At that very same time, we opened applications for our 2026-27 school year. Our fifth move-in season!!!!! So while one group is crossing the stage... Another group is standing at the door, wondering how they are going to survive in the college they worked so hard to get into. Both moments. At the same time. Last week, I paused the series because the good news from our scholars was coming in so fast that I just couldn't hold it. Scholars crossing fraternities and sororities. Headed to Tanzania. Headed to Capitol Hill. Passing licensing exams. Moving into first apartments. I needed you to know right then. But noooooow...we are back. And I want you to meet our fourth senior. G.T. But first, if you are new here... Move-In Day Mafia is the family that shows up for HBCU students who have aged out of foster care, are unhoused, or are navigating college under severe financial hardship. We don't just move them in. We stay. Four years. Monthly care packages. Because getting into school is one thing; staying is where everything gets tested. We are their family. Or "Mafia Miracle Makers" as I like to call it. G.T. CAME TO BUILD Four years ago, G.T. walked into Paul Quinn College in Dallas, Texas as a Psychology major. And in a few weeks, she will walk out with a degree. When she came into Mafia, she was surviving. Stretched thin. Carrying more than most young people should have to carry at that age. And she was the oldest sibling. When you are the oldest, and things are unstable at home, you do not get to just be young. You carry it. You watch. You hold things together for the people behind you. You decide early that your life is going to go a different direction. That is the girl who chose Paul Quinn College. A school that felt like something she hadn't had much of. Family. She said, "At other schools, you're just a number. You can go a whole day without anyone knowing your name. But at Paul Quinn? You run into the president on the street. You see the same faces every day. It's one big family." G.T. wasn't just looking for a degree. She was looking for a place to BUILD! WHAT SHE BUILT And in four years, G.T. killed the game! She landed an internship at Wells Fargo and knocked it out the park. Consistent. Capable. Determined. They didn't just appreciate her work. They wanted more of it. So they offered her a full-time position before she ever had a chance to submit a resume anywhere else. Plus! She is graduating with honors. G.T. did not just get through Paul Quinn. She excelled. She carried academic weight while carrying everything else, and she still crossed that finish line with honors attached to her name. Plus...Plus... She crossed into Delta Sigma Theta Sorority. Line process and all. That is not something you just sign up for. You earn it. Because that is just G.T. She does not do small. Plus...Plus...Plus... Somewhere in the middle of all of that, the full course load, the internship, the line process, she was also building a business of her own. Her entrepreneurial spirit is not a side hustle. It is part of who she is and where she is going. What's next? Taking a year to save, rest and then grad school for her Master's! And noooooow, she is excited to sign for her first apartment. Her own space. Her name on a lease. After years of instability, she is building a home. Her words..."I am just beyond grateful." Five words. And when you know where she started, those five words carry the weight of four years. You Get To Be Proud Too Every month, our scholars submit their care package wishlists. And every month, I learn something about who they are by what they ask for. Every month, G.T. asked for books. Books, books, and more books. Self-help. Personal growth. Mindset. Every single month, she was quietly building her library. Page by page, she was investing in herself. Soooooo when you grabbed one of those books off her wishlist... When you picked up her Secret deodorant so she could walk into that internship, into that classroom, into that chapter meeting, feeling ready... When you tossed her Gain detergent into your cart so her clothes were clean for the days that counted... When you added her favorite Frito Lay Flamin' Hot variety pack because sometimes a scholar just needs something that feels like a treat. Like a small joy. Like somebody thought about what she actually likes... That was you, Mafia Miracle Maker. You were not just sending snacks and supplies. You were sending her a message, month after month: We see you. We believe in you. Keep building. And she did. So yeah. This graduation? YOU deserve to be just as proud as I am. The Finish Line. And The Front Door. While G.T. is signing her apartment and starting her career at Wells Fargo, there is a young woman somewhere who just got accepted to an HBCU. She worked hard for that acceptance letter. And now she is wondering how she is going to survive in the school she worked so hard to get into. That is who we are opening the door for. If you know a student who needs us: 👉🏾 MoveInDayMafia.org/Apply And if you want to make sure our five seniors walk across that stage with everything they need, we are covering regalia, fees, and graduation gifts: 👉🏾 MoveInDayMafia.org/Graduates Both matter. Both are the Mafia. The finish line and the front door. At the same time.  Every month when our scholars submit their care package requests, they have to finish a sentence. They choose one: “I’m grateful that…” “I’m excited that…” “I’m looking forward to…” Usually, we show you words from various scholars, but this week, we're sharing G.T.'s voice directly. Because sometimes what a scholar says about herself tells you everything you need to know.   I have been watching HBO's The Pitt. If you haven't seen it yet, Noah Wyle plays Dr. Robby. An ER attending who has given everything to his hospital, his team, his patients. Season one, episode fourteen. A mass shooting comes through the doors. And it's pure chaos and hysteria. Tragic injuries. Death. The weight of it breaks him. He ends up alone in a room. The makeshift morgue. And he just... collapses. Total meltdown. But for me, that was totally ok. Totally understandable. And the person who finds him? Not a senior doctor. Not a colleague with thirty years in. A first-day intern named Whitaker. This is the same kid Dr. Robby had to pour into and give a pep talk to earlier in the season when the new doc lost it. And Whitaker gets Dr. Robby up off the floor the only way he can. He looks at him and says, "You have to. Because if you don't, we're done." I think about that scene a lot. Because sometimes, if you lead long enough, the weight of it finds you in a room somewhere. You have seen too much. You have carried too much. And the very thing that makes you good at what you do, the fact that you actually feel it, is the same thing that can bring you to your knees. But here is what I know...from real-life experience. When you've built a team that really sees you, sometimes the most powerful thing that can happen is one of them reaching down and saying: God's got you. Get up, because we need you. I've been in situations with building Mafia where my team had to reach down and get ME up, and remind me that God CALLED me to this journey. That is NOT weakness. That is what it looks like when you have built something real. When the people around you have grown enough to lead you back to yourself. Let them. We are all only human. If G.T.'s story resonated with you, like, comment, repost. In the meantime, don't forget you can support our graduates by contributing to the graduation fund at MoveInDayMafia.org/Graduates
Every dollar goes directly to celebrating them the way they deserve, and as always, your gift is tax-deductible. I'll see you next week to tell you about our final graduating scholar. Have a great weekend. To check out the previous three grads... A.J.'s story - From Sleeping In The Car To Cap & Gown From Dublin To Delaware… Paging Dr. A.O. B.C. Is About To Walk Across A Stage  Haaaaaaappy Friday! Okay. I need to tell you something before we get into it. We are in the middle of The Finish Line & The Front Door. For the past three weeks, we've been celebrating our graduating seniors. The ones who came in with nothing and are walking out with EVERYTHING! Today belongs to something I just...could not hold. But first...if you are new to Move-In Day Mafia...we are a "mob" of volunteers who provide decked out dorm rooms AND monthly care packages for FOUR years to HBCU students who have aged out of foster, are unhoused, or grapple with severe financial hardships. Now! Eevery month when they submit their care package wishlists, our scholars tell us their good news. But this month, we also asked them about their summer plans. And when those responses started coming in, I sat down to read them and I didn't get up for a minute. I was sitting with about 50 responses from 50 kids. Students who came into this program with nothing... no housing, no safety net, no one in their corner who had ever stayed. And what came back to me this April? Maaaaaaan. I couldn't wait. I just needed you to know right now. Because YOU did this. Every item you purchased off a wishlist, every gift card, every dollar you donated, every post you shared... it compounded. And these scholars? They've been putting in the work. So today, we're pausing The Finish Line & The Front Door series. Becauuuuuse oooooooweeeeee you gotta hear what my babies...YOUR babies have been up to. Wins...Wins...And More Wins! Clark Atlanta Scholar: Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity. He was adopted out of foster care and then put out at 18; he's been on his own at Clark. And he still showed up and crossed Kappa. In HBCU culture, that is no joke. Savannah State Scholar: Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority. She's been couch surfing since she was 10. Doesn't know her dad and mom's in jail. Crossing AKA has been her dream since 10th grade. Prairie View A&M Scholar: Study Abroad to Tanzania. She's nervous about the long plane ride and traveling with people she doesn't know yet. But she's going. Across the world. Because of YOU. North Carolina A&T Scholar: National Foster Youth Institute in D.C. She's been in foster care since she was 7. Now she's headed to Capitol Hill to shadow her congressman and fight for policy change. Her voice. On Capitol Hill! Florida A&M Scholar: First Year in Master's Program, Moving Into Her First Apartment. She entered Mafia as a senior at Bethune-Cookman. She'd been couch surfing since her freshman year. Now, she's at FAMU, wrapping up her first year in her Master's program AND moving into her first apartment. Texas Southern Scholar: Selected for Air Assault School. He's been cycling through foster care since he was 2. And now? Studying to be a pilot, headed to Air Assault School for the summer. Our baby is out here doing the most. In the best way. Prairie View A&M Scholar: Passed Her Life and Health Insurance License Exam. Mom killed in a car accident when she was 17. Dad kicked her out a month after the funeral. And now look at her. She already got her Life Insurance license. Now she's doubling up. And if that wasn't enough, she's also learning day trading on the side. I can't make this up. Paul Quinn Scholar: Landed a Full-Time Job With Wells Fargo. At her internship. They hired her. She's excited, a little scared, and ready for her new chapter. That's how we like it. Benedict College Scholar: Crossed Delta Sigma Theta. She entered foster care at age 6 with domestic violence and neglect. She's overcome academic challenges, aged out of the system, and made Dean's List all four years. Now she crossed Delta and is graduating with honors. Line process and all. Lane College Scholar: Graduating 4th in Her Class. FOURTH. IN. HER. CLASS. A girl who used to sleep behind an Autozone, not knowing where her next meal was coming from. And This Is Why We Don't Stop Every single one of these wins happened because of consistency. Because we showed up. All year long. Not just during the school year. Not with a "Great year, see you in the fall." All year. Because when May rolls around, summer doesn't pause for our scholars. It gets harder. That's why we don't disappear. Adopt A Scholar Week is happening RIGHT NOW, through April 21st. Usually, the wishlists are full of items selected by the scholar along with 2-$25 Visa gift cards for perishables and incidentals. But right now? With the 2025-26 school year coming to an end, our students are headed out on various adventures and some will be couch surfing...heading into uncertainty and what they need is flexibility. Therefore, for the summer months, we send some students all gift cards so they can take care of their needs without worrying about Amazon deliveries. So whether you have a budget for a $3 box of snacks or $300 in multiple gift cards, a scholar needs you. 👉🏾 Head to MoveInDayMafia.org/AdoptAScholar and look around. You'll see both options waiting for you. And if shopping isn't your thing right now, you can always donate directly at MoveInDayMafia.org/Donate and we'll make sure it lands where it's needed most. We've got until April 21st.  Every month when our scholars submit their care package requests, they have to finish a sentence. They choose one: “I’m grateful that…” “I’m excited that…” “I’m looking forward to…” So we like to share some with you:   Last Sunday would have been my daughter, Dot's, 20th birthday. When she died, naturally, it was hard. And for a long time, I thought joy died with her. I walked through what I coined "My Journey To G.R.I.E.V.E." G — Give yourself permission to go to pieces. R — Reassess your new reality, because there is now a huge void in your life. I — Integrate time in your day to have a pity party and feel every emotion. Heal. E — Express your feelings to a friend, counselor, a pastor, or in a journal. Do NOT hold it in. V — Sometimes you oscillate between being okay one minute and in tears the next. This is normal. It can last for years. E — Exist. Sometimes that's all you can do. And that's alright. But here's what I'm telling you today, sitting on the other side of it: I walked THROUGH the grief. Not around it. Not past it. Through it. And little by little, not all at once, but little by little, it got better. Some days I still can't believe she's gone. But last Sunday, when I was reading through these 50 scholar responses, when I saw a scholar crossing Kappa, a scholar running for office, a scholar heading to D.C. to fight for foster youth policy, a scholar graduating fourth in her class, I cried. Not because of the hole that Dot left. Because of the 50 kids standing in that hole and filling it with their own light. That's what I couldn't have predicted about grief. That it doesn't end your capacity for joy. It expands it. So I want to ask you something today. What grief are you walking through? What loss, what disappointment, what version of yourself or your future have you had to let go of? Because here's the thing: You don't have to wait until you're "over it" to start reaching toward joy again. You don't have to wait for the grief to be neat or small or manageable. You can walk through both at the same time. The sadness and the celebration. The missing and the gratitude. The loss and the light. That's what our babies are teaching me every single day. That scared and proud can live in the same sentence. That anxiety and hope can show up in the same survey response. That you can be nervous about your future and still be ready for it. So I want to invite you into that same both/and space. Walk through whatever grief you're carrying. But don't stop reaching. Don't stop giving. Don't stop believing that on the other side of loss, there is light. The world needs what happens when you do. Have a great weekend, Mafia Miracle Maker! If this made you think about something... or someone... go ahead and share it. You never know who might need that reminder today. And if you're not already part of the Mafia Miracle Makers family, make sure you're subscribed so you don't miss what's coming next. I'll see you next week. Hug yourself for me! P.S. We have until April 21st. If you haven't checked the wishlists yet, now is the time. Every item you grab says something loud and clear to our scholars: You're not doing summer alone. 👉🏾 MoveInDayMafia.org/AdoptAScholar  And I need you to understand what that actually means before I tell you she made the Dean's List. Because if I lead with the honor roll, you might nod and keep scrolling. And B.C.'s story? It is not a scroll-past story. So let me back up. This is Week 3 of a series we're calling The Finish Line & The Front Door. At Move-In Day Mafia, we move in and take care of HBCU students who have aged out of foster care, are unhoused or struggle with financial hardships. Annnnnnd this spring... We have FIVE seniors graduating! The most we've ever had. Five young people who pushed through the hard days, the confusing days, the "I genuinely don't know how I'm going to make this work" days and are now standing right there at the finish line. And at the exact same time, applications just opened for our 2026-27 school year. Our fifth move-in season. So while one group is about to walk across a stage, another group is standing at the door ready to begin their new journey. That's what this series is about. Both moments. At the same time. Because if you really want to understand what Move-In Day Mafia is, you have to see both. She Was Six Years Old. B.C. entered the foster care system at six years old. Domestic violence. Family chaos. Domestic violence. Family chaos. Neglect so deep that B.C. couldn't tie her own shoes. Could not spell. The neglect hadn't just stolen her stability. It had stolen her start. She was already behind before she ever had a fair shot at the race. And the system was about to keep right on moving without her. She was days away from becoming a ward of the state. Another child absorbed by circumstances she didn't create and could not control but thankfully... Her grandparents stepped in. They were elderly. They were not equipped with a lot of resources. But they showed up. And B.C. began to thrive. Her beginning didn't stop her. She made the Dean's List at Benedict College. Not one semester. Not one year. All ...four...years! Every. Single. Semester. The little girl who couldn't tie her shoes. Who couldn't spell. Who the system had already started processing as a statistic. She walked into Benedict College and stayed on the Dean's List the entire time she was there. That is not something you do by accident. That doesn't happen because things were easy. That happens because somewhere deep in B.C., something decided she was not going to be what happened to her. And she proved it over and over and over again. But that's just the Dean's List part. While she was keeping that GPA locked, she was also building somewhere else. Spring 2024, B.C. crossed into Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. Not just a member sitting on the sidelines. She's Treasurer of her chapter and Recording Secretary for the entire National Pan-Hellenic Council. That's not something you stumble into. That's` something you earn when people see that you show up and follow through. And her senior year? She didn't just stay on the Dean's List. She made the President's List. That's a whole other level. She's excelling. And she's not done yet! Graduate school is next. MBA with a concentration in healthcare administration. She's going to work in public health. She's going to do it with the same focus that got her from "I can't tie my shoes" to the President's List. Small Things Have Big Impact This is your moment too. When you grabbed Vaseline lotion and Dove lotion so her skin could breathe after four years of stress and late nights… When you sent Quaker Instant Oatmeal so she had something quick on mornings when studying came before breakfast… When you made sure she had those fruit juices she loves...little tastes of sweetness on the days that felt too hard… And when you said yes to that Chefman 6-quart air fryer when she asked for something special. Not a need. A want. Because you believed she'd deserved it. When you grabbed what was on her list… When you made sure she had what she needed to focus on school instead of survival… You were part of this. Not symbolically. Not in a "every little bit helps" kind of way. In a real, tangible, "she had one less thing to worry about so she could keep her eyes on that Dean's List" kind of way. Honor roll doesn't happen in a vacuum. It happens when a student can actually focus. When the basics are handled. When somebody, even somebody she's never met, sends a care package that says without saying it: We see you. You matter. Keep going. That was you. So yes. This graduation belongs to B.C. And you and I get to be proud of it too.   Usually, we show you words from various scholars, but this week, we're sharing B.C.'s voice directly. Because sometimes what a scholar says about herself tells you everything you need to know.  B.C. Is Finishing… Somebody Else Is Just Starting. While B.C. is walking toward the finish line, applications are open right now for our next class. Somewhere, a student is sitting in their own version of what B.C. survived. Maybe they aged out of foster care. Maybe they're unhoused. Maybe they're the oldest sibling holding a weight no teenager should be holding. And they are wondering how they are gonna survive in the college they worked so hard to get into. Well, we're opening the door. Applications for the 2026-27 move-in season are now open. If you know of a scholar we can help, have them head over to 👉🏾 MoveInDayMafia.org/Apply Your support this move-in season makes sure the next class doesn't have to wonder if they belong. This is how Mafia works. We hold both moments. We celebrate the finish line. And we stand at the front door, ready for whoever's coming next. Help us celebrate five graduating seniors: 👉🏾 MoveInDayMafia.org/Graduates Be part of welcoming the next class: 👉🏾 MoveInDayMafia.org/Apply  Give yourself the freedom to evolve. I didn't want to be nobody's leader. I was a TV editor and producer in Hollywood for nearly 30 years. I loved that work. I really did. I still miss it sometimes. That was my lane. Supporting leaders. Creating behind the scenes. I was good at it and I knew my place in that world. I loved being a team player. Running a nonprofit? Leading a movement? Being the one the buck stops with? That was never on my radar. I didn't want that life. But then I met a girl who'd aged out of foster care. Just dropped off at college with nothing. And something shifted in me. What if I said yes to becoming something I never planned to be...scared and all? What if I gave myself permission to evolve beyond the version of myself I'd already decided I was? Here's what I know now: God knows His kids. He knew what would make my heart happy. While I loved my career in Hollywood and miss it every once in a while, I couldn't imagine NOT being the Godfather of Move-In Day Mafia. Today, 109 students across 28 HBCUs are thankful that I got over my fears and insecurities...just for them. I mean...FIVE of my babies are graduating! Your next chapter is waiting too. It might look nothing like what you planned. It might scare you. You might have to grieve the version of yourself you thought you'd be. But what would happen if you stopped apologizing for who you used to be and started celebrating who you're becoming? Give yourself that freedom. The world needs what happens when you do. Hug yourself for me. If this made you think about something... or someone... go ahead and share it. You never know who might need that reminder today. And if you're not already part of the Mafia Miracle Makers family, make sure you're subscribed so you don't miss what's coming next. I'll see you next week. And before you go... don't forget, we've got five seniors getting ready to walk across that stage. If you want to be part of that moment... 👉🏾 MoveInDayMafia.org/Graduates Hug yourself for me! TeeJ "The Godfather" Founder, Move-In Day Mafia P.S. If you missed A.O.'s story from last week, you can read it HERE.  The Finish Line & The Front Door: Week 2 Continuing our series spotlighting the incredible dopeness of our graduating seniors, I am excited to tell you about one of our future doctors. But first...if you're new to Mafia Miracles Report... Move-In Day Mafia is a family that supports HBCU students who have aged out of foster care, are unhoused, or are navigating severe financial hardship. We don’t just move them in… we stay with them for four years, covering the monthly essentials most people never think about so they can focus on becoming who they’re called to be. Around here, we call that H.U.G.S. — Hope, Understanding, Generosity, and Stability. And this series? The Finish Line & The Front Door is about holding two truths at the same time. During this season, some of our babies are crossing the stage. And at the very same time… our applications are now open, and our potential new babies are standing at the door of college with anxiety about all that is next. Last week, I told you about A.J. who is graduating from Fisk. This week? It's A.O. from Delaware State. A.O. was born and raised in Dublin, Ireland, and made her way to the U.S. just a few years ago, under circumstances that didn’t exactly come with stability or a safety net. She didn’t arrive with everything lined up. She arrived, trying to figure it out. New country. New systems. New expectations. And no real blueprint for how to navigate any of it. She landed in Delaware, building a life in real time… learning how to take care of herself while also trying to stay on track in school. And that’s the part people don’t always see. Because by the time you meet her now, she looks like she’s always had it together. Senior year at Delaware State. Studying for the MCAT. Pediatrician on deck. Yaaaaaas. Because for most people, that right there would already be enough to celebrate. But baaaaaaaaby… we’re not done. Because she’s doing ALL of this while being unhoused. You read that right. UNHOUSED. Now to be clear, thankfully, Delaware State has policies in place that allow students in her situation to remain on campus during breaks, which has made a real difference. But even with that… That’s not the same as having a true home base. That’s not the same as knowing you have a permanent space to land, to exhale, to fully rest without question. There’s still a level of uncertainty there. Still a level of “how am I going to keep this going?” And she’s carrying all of that while balancing classes, leadership, and studying for the MCAT. Yet, instead of slowing down… instead of saying “let me wait until things get easier”… A.O. said, “Nope… we're moving anyway.” And THAT is what made me lean all the way in. Because she’s not moving like someone hoping this works out. She’s moving like it already did. And while she’s carrying all of that… Maaaaaaan, you gotta see what she's been up to...straight beast mode: • Maintaining a 3.8 GPA as a Biological Science major (health professions) with a minor in chemistry • Holding it DOWN on the Dean’s List for three years and now the Presidential List • Inducted into Delaware State’s Honors Program • Serving as Vice President and Event Manager for the African Student Association • Creating and leading Hive Wars 2026, a campus-wide experience that brought competition, community, and a canned food drive together • Building her own clothing brand, Chosen Generation, rooted in faith and identity • Working in a campus lab and herbarium to deepen her research skills So yeah...A.O. is no joke… I mean, she has been putting in the WORK to get there. Not halfway. Not sometimes. CONSISTENTLY. SO YEAH...YOU SHOULD BE PROUD TOO! When you bought those Capri Suns and those big boxes of Welch’s fruit snacks, you were making sure she had something to grab in between long study sessions and even longer days. When you sent those Scott paper towels and toilet paper, you handled the kind of everyday needs that don’t get talked about, but make all the difference when you’re trying to hold life together. When I saw those BC powders on one of her monthly lists, I’m not even gonna lie… I laughed. I didn’t even know they still made BC. And how does she even know about those?! And when you saw that pink stethoscope, those pink scrubs, and that graduation dress she asked for…  You sowed into her and let her know she was not alone. And whether you look at this way or not… YOU have been part of her getting to this moment, Mafia Miracle Maker. That’s how A.O. made it to the finish line. So yeah… You should be proud, too. Now, as a family, we’ve got one more step We’ve got FIVE seniors getting ready to walk, and we’re covering everything (graduation fees, regalia, gifts) they need for that moment. If you want to be part of that… 👉🏾 MoveInDayMafia.org/Graduates Real Quick… I Need To Correct Something Last week, I told you we had six seniors graduating this spring. That was on me. One of our babies is in a Master’s program and still has more coursework to finish, so her walk is coming in the Fall. And you already know… We’re going to walk all the way through with her. So this spring, we’re celebrating FIVE. And FIVE is still a big deal.  Usually, this section shares screenshots from a variety of our scholars but in celebration of A.O., here are a few of hers.   I’ve been sitting with something lately. 2026 feels different. This is our 5th Move-In Season, and for a long time, I was just trying to get through the season in front of me. Make sure the rooms were done. Make sure our babies had what they needed. Just… make it. But now? We know this works. Lives have been changed. Students are still in school, still standing, still becoming. And once you know that, you can’t think the same anymore. I’ve found myself asking a different question: Not just, “How do we do this again?” But, “How do we make sure this keeps going?” Not just while I’m here… But beyond me. Because this work is too important to be dependent on one person. And if I’m honest, that realization stretched me. It made me look at what I need to grow into, what I need to let go of, and what I need to trust someone else to carry. Because growth isn’t always about doing more. Sometimes it’s about building something that can keep going without you. And I think that’s where a lot of us are. There comes a point where it stops being about getting through the moment… And starts being about what lasts. So if things feel different right now… They probably are. And that’s not a bad thing. It might just mean what you’re building is meant to last. If this made you think about something… or someone… go ahead and share it. You never know who might need that reminder today. And if you’re not already part of the Mafia Miracle Makers family, make sure you’re subscribed so you don’t miss what’s coming next. I’ll see you next week. And before you go… don’t forget, we’ve got five seniors getting ready to walk across that stage. If you want to be part of that moment… 👉🏾 MoveInDayMafia.org/Graduates Hug yourself for me! P.S. If you missed A.J.'s story from last week, you can read it here.  The Finish Line & The Front Door: A.J. At Fisk Two things are happening at the same time This week, we’re starting something special. For the next six weeks, I’m taking you inside two moments happening at the exact same time. The finish line… And the front door. We have FIVE SENIORS GRADUATING this year. The most we’ve ever had. Five young people who pushed through the hard days, the confusing days, the “I don’t know how this is going to work” days… and now they are standing at the finish line. At the very same time... We just opened applications for our 2026-27 school year. Not just any move-in season...OUR FIFTH!!!!! So while one group is preparing to walk across the stage… Another group is standing at the door trying to figure out if they can even walk in. And if you really want to understand Move-In Day Mafia… You have to see both. We Don't Just Move Them In If you’re new here… Move-In Day Mafia is the family that shows up for students at HBCUs who have aged out of foster care, are unhoused, or are navigating college without a safety net. We don’t just move them in. We stay. Four years. Monthly care packages. Because getting into school is one thing. Staying is where everything gets tested. We are family...or "Mafia Miracle Makers" as I like to call it. Meet A.J. If you are on our email list, on Wednesday, I introduced you to A.J. But I want to sit in his story a little longer. A.J. is graduating from Fisk University in May! Before college, he and his siblings were living in a car while their mom was fighting cancer. He was trying to stay focused in school while carrying a level of responsibility that most adults would struggle under. That kind of pressure could have easily rewritten his story. But it didn’t. Because even in that season… he kept moving. One step at a time. One decision at a time. One “don’t give up” at a time. And eventually… That persistent resilience opened a door. He made his way across the country to Fisk University on a basketball scholarship. From the outside, it looks like that should have been the turning point. But life doesn’t just flip like that. A.J. is the oldest. That didn’t change just because he got to campus. Even while balancing school and basketball, his mind never left home. When NIL money started coming in, he didn’t use it to make life easier for himself. He sent money back to his family, because that’s what he felt called to do. That detail right there tells you exactly who A.J. is His struggle didn't magically disappear. But he kept showing up anyway. And let me tell you something else I love about his story… Somewhere in the middle of all of this, A.J. didn’t just survive college. He stepped fully into it. And when I say that… I don’t just mean he made it through. I mean he made history. He became the first Black man from an HBCU to win the Perry Wallace Courage Award and got flown out to Arizona for the Final Four. His city, Long Beach, showed up and honored him like family. And on top of all of that. He’s graduating in four years… almost debt-free. That alone would be enough to celebrate. But A.J. didn’t stop there. One of his proudest accomplishments? Crossing into Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, Inc. And baby… if you know, you KNOW. That’s not just letters. That’s legacy, discipline, and a whole lot of earned pride. And now, in just a few weeks, Persistance and Resilence walks across that graduation stage. Not wondering what’s next. CHOOSING what’s next. Get this...He has a job opportunity with the fire department in Nashville. He has opportunities to continue playing basketball. He has options. And when your life has started in survival mode, the ability to CHOOSE hits different. What I Don't Want You To Miss This is your moment too. When you bought that Palmer's Coco Butter… When you grabbed that Tide detergent… When you tossed his fave cereal, Honey Smacks, into your cart... When you snatched up that Wave brush. You probably thought you were just checking out. But you weren’t. You were supporting A.J.’s pursuit of the finish line. You were helping remove distractions… creating stability… making sure he could stay focused on what mattered. And all those moments? They added up. So yes… This graduation? You, Mafia Miracle Maker, deserve to be just as proud as I am. While He's Finishing...Someone Else Is Just Starting While A.J. is walking toward the finish line… Applications are open right now for our next class. Our fifth Move-In Season! Somewhere, a student is sitting in their own version of that “car moment.” Trying to figure out if college is even possible. Trying to figure out if they’re about to do this alone. This is where the front door opens. If you know a scholar who has aged out of foster care, is unhoused, or is trying to navigate college without support, please have them apply. 👉🏾 MoveInDayMafia.org/Apply  Typically, this section shows you screenshots from several of our students' forms, sharing their good news. But in honor of A.J.'s graduation, we are showing just his.    Stand in line for somebody else On Wednesday, I attended The State of HBCUs Executive Summit hosted by the Student Freedom Initiative. During the Q&A portion, I had the chance to introduce myself to a panel of HBCU presidents, and I won’t lie… seeing heads nod when I said “Move-In Day Mafia” felt gooooood. It felt like the work was being seen. But that’s not what stayed with me. Nah. What stayed with me was a lone student. You see, after I told the room about the work of Mafia. When the event ended, I was wonderfully bombarded by audience members and the staff of the presidents who wanted to get involved. Standing patiently as I answered questions and connected, this student stood patiently waiting to tell me... Not about herself. About her friend. Her. Friend! She told me her friend is in foster care and just got accepted into Morris Brown College, and she’s scared about not having everything she needs. She stood there… patient… intentional… advocating for someone else’s future. And I couldn’t stop smiling. Because that’s when you know something deeper is happening. When support doesn’t just meet a need… It multiplies. It teaches people to look beyond themselves. To care differently. To move differently. To speak up when someone else doesn’t have the words or the room. And it made me sit with a simple question: What would change if more of us chose to stand in line for somebody else? Before I Go Before we close out this week… We’ve got one more step for our seniors. We created a fund to cover all six of their graduation fees, regalia, and gifts. And now it’s time to celebrate them… properly. Fisk University - 05/03/26 Lane College - 04/25/26 Delaware State University 05/15/26 Paul Quinn College - 05/02/26 Benedict College - 05/02/26 Prairie View A&M - 05/09/26 The total is $2,893. 👉🏾 MoveInDayMafia.org/Graduates Every dollar goes directly to celebrating them the way they deserve, and as always, your gift is tax-deductible. See you next week to tell you about another graduating scholar!  Soooooo… God showed off on me this past weekend. And I’m still sitting here like, “Sir… you really did all that… for ME??” Let me tell you what happened. But first... If you’re new here, welcome to the family. I'm TeeJ, the founder of Move-In Day Mafia. Mafia is what happens when a group of people decides that HBCU students who’ve experienced foster care, housing instability, or major life disruption should not have to “figure it out” alone. We deck out their dorm rooms, send monthly care packages for four years, and surround them with H.U.G.S. Hope, Understanding, Generosity, Stability. And the people who make that happen? Mafia Miracle Makers. Not donors. Family. Now listen… This week's edition is not necessarily spot-on Mafia, but it's related. So stay with me. Because before I was anybody’s founder… before any of this existed… I was a daughter, a sister, a favorite cousin, and a BIG SISTER. And baaaaaabyyyy… I take that job VERY seriously. 😜 For about three years now, I have been watching this baseball league grow called Savannah Bananas. Think Harlem Globetrotters, but for baseball. And when I tell you I was hooked… not even because of baseball… because of the JOY. The owner, the energy, the experience… it just felt like something I could learn from as we build Mafia. So when they announced tickets for the Atlanta game, I entered the lottery… didn’t get picked. And I’m not gonna lie… I was BUMMED. Like real life, sitting there pouting, “I'm a grown woman” bummed. 😒 I told my little brother Bud about it because not only did he go to Grambling on a baseball scholarship, but he’s also now an umpire. We talked about the game, the business, all of it… and then life moved on. Or so I thought. And then… AND THEEEEN… A few months later...This dude… this dude who is 12 years my junior… whom I blazed a trail through our mama’s birth canal… sends me a text: “Guess who just got called up to umpire the New Orleans Banana Ball game?” Mafia Miracle Maker… when I tell you I screamed??? Not a cute scream. Not a ladylike “oh wow.” I mean a full-on “THE NEIGHBORS ARE GONNA CALL THE POLICE” scream. 🤣 Because wait… not only is this the SAME game I was sad about not seeing… now 👏🏾 my👏🏾 little👏🏾 brother👏🏾 is👏🏾 ON👏🏾 THE👏🏾 FIELD??? In the Superdome??? Like… the New Orleans Saints field??? In front of THOUSANDS of people??? 83,000 people to be exact! So of course I said what any loving, supportive, slightly selfish big sister would say: “I don’t care about mama… I don’t care about daddy… YOU BETTA FIGURE OUT HOW I GET IN THAT BUILDING.” And I meant it. 😌 Don't worry. My parents were okay cuz they know how I feel about my knuckle-head little brother and by "little," I mean, he is 41 and 6'4". But guess what… Bud figured it out! Mama didn’t get a ticket. Sorry… not sorry Ma. So boom. I fly to Louisiana. Excited. Can’t sleep. Acting like I’m the one umpiring. And let me tell you… I did NOT come to play. I made a whole shirt for the occasion. Mine said: “Proud Sister of One of the Umpires.” Because if I was pulling up… oh I was making it known.  I get to the stadium, and as I'm looking for my seat, I look down… and there he is. Walking the field. And the tears just start falling. Because in that moment, I wasn’t looking at “Marvin 'Bud' Mercer the umpire.” I was looking at my baby brother. The one I used to wake up for school, get dressed, take to school, pick up… because our mama was working long hours making sure we had what we needed. That little boy… now on THAT field. And then… because God clearly wasn’t done showing out… I realize something. I didn’t even pay for my ticket. His friend Reggie gave me a comp. Cool. Grateful. Thanks Reggie! But THEN… AND THEEEEEEEWN… I look at my seat. Thiiiiiiiird row. But not just any third row. Right field. Y’all… RIGHT. WHERE. BUD. WAS.  I didn’t pick it. I didn’t ask for it. I didn’t even care where I was sitting. I just wanted to be in the building. And God said, “No… I want you to SEE this.” So I sat there with an unobstructed view, watching them introduce him FIRST, watching him dance on that field, losing my ENTIRE mind like somebody's auntie who doesn’t know how to act. 🤣 And then I remembered… Mama, aka Ms. Thang Thang, didn’t have a ticket. So I video-called her. And y’all… she got to watch her son wave at his mama from the field in front of tens of thousands of people. And by the end of the game? Everybody within at least a 10-seat radius knew: “That’s my little brother out there.” I had told them. More than once. Okay… probably about 17 times. 🤣  While sitting there… crying, screaming, acting a fool… but also real quiet inside at the same time because I realized something. I wasn’t just proud because that’s my baby brother. I was proud because, being 12 years older, I had a hand in raising him. I had a front row seat to his becoming. I poured into that boy. I covered him. I snuck and ate his food so he could finally get down to play after Mama told him he had to finish his dinner. So watching him stand on that field... heck yeah, I was in my feelings. And it hit me… that’s EXACTLY how I feel right now about our babies. Because this year, we’ve got SIX Mafia scholars graduating. SIX. And no… I didn’t raise them from childhood… but because of Mafia Miracle Makers, like you, we’ve walked with them. We’ve shown up. We’ve covered them. We’ve made sure they didn’t have to “figure it out” alone. So when they cross that stage… oh I already know… I’m gonna be just as emotional, just as proud. Because tangible love showed up through YOU… and now we get to watch it graduate. So no… this story ain’t about a Mafia scholar this week. But it IS about the heart behind everything we do. If you'd like to see the highlight reel I did for him, here you go.  Every month when our scholars submit their care package requests, they have to finish a sentence. They choose one: “I’m grateful that…” “I’m excited that…” “I’m looking forward to…” So we like to share some with you.   JOY IS NOT A DISTRACTION Building Mafia is overwhelming and scary at times. If I'm honest, it's a lot. So I could have easily told myself, “You don’t have time for this.” There’s always something to do. Always another need. Always another student to support. But this weekend reminded me of something I don’t ever want to forget. Joy is not a distraction from the work. It’s fuel for it. Those moments where you laugh too hard, cry a little, act a fool in public… Those are the moments that refill you. That remind you why your heart is wired the way it is. So don’t skip them. Don’t rush past them. Don’t treat them like extras. They’re not. They're necessary. Lastly, Adopt-A-Scholar Week wraps up tomorrow. Here's where we are.  If you’ve got $3, there are items waiting right now at that level. And if you’re like me and hate shopping, you can always donate and let us handle the deets." 👉🏾 MoveInDayMafia.org/AdoptAScholar 👉🏾 MoveInDayMafia.org/Donate See you next week. Don't forget to LIKE, COMMENT, SHARE AND SUBSCRIBE. Until then...Hug yourself for me. |
AuthorTEEJ MERCER - TeeJ never set out to be an entrepreneur. She definitely didn’t plan to run a nonprofit. But after 25 years in Hollywood, editing and producing for major TV shows and movie studios, she saw a story that needed to be told. More importantly, she saw a PROBLEM that needed to be solved. Archives
May 2026
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