A Week of More Royalty, Milestones, Aaaand Hot Chips???

Mafia Miracle Makers!

Last week, we talked about a divine airport meetup with one of our Clark Atlanta babies who had just been crowned Homecoming Royalty.

Well this week, we are gonna keep the sunshine coming cuz the royalty theme continues.

Only now, we are headed to Prairie View A&M.

But first...if you are new here...

I'm TeeJ Mercer, and I have the distinct honor to be the founder of Move-In Day Mafia, a "mob" of folks who come together to provide dorm room, makeovers and monthly care packages for HBCU students who have aged out of foster care or are unhoused.

And to date, we've moved in 109 students at 28 HBCUs since 2022!

With that said...

Meet BN, one of our Prairie View A&M University scholars.

BN has spent her life learning how to survive storms she didn’t create.

From the time she was little, chaos was her normal. Her mother’s addiction meant nights alone, strangers in the house, and the kind of fear no child should know.

She was placed in foster care again and again. Each time, she had to start over. New home. New rules. New people.

And still, she kept getting back up.

By the time she reached high school, BN had already lived in more houses than she had birthdays. But she never let that be her ending.

She studied hard, earned her Certified Nursing Assistant license before graduation, and set her eyes on college…determined to build the kind of stability she’d never known.

Then, just when she thought life might finally settle, she discovered her mother had been committing identity fraud in her name.

Her credit? Destroyed and her peace stolen.

The very person who gave her life was now taking FROM it.

BN could’ve given up right there.

But she didn’t.

She’s now a junior studying Health Science and Biology, working as a medical assistant, and believing that she can change lives through medicine. She wants to make sure no one else feels the kind of neglect she’s known.

And this year, the same young woman who grew up without a safety net walked across campus wearing a crown…

BN WAS CROWNED QUEEN OF THE SCHOOL OF PUBLIC AND ALLIED HEALTH AT PRAIRIE VIEW A&M.

The same young woman who grew up without stability has now earned a crown! How's that for us Mafia Miracle Makers, giving them the support they need to thrive?


The Kind of Support You Cannot Buy

Last week, I was in Hollywood cheering as my friend Sherri Shepherd received her star on the Walk of Fame. This week, I’m in New York celebrating her 500th episode of her talk show.

I was there for Episode 1 when this was only a dream, and I cannot tell you what it feels like to still be by her side as she walks it out.

But let me tell you what I love most about her.

Right now, I’m literally sitting at her kitchen table writing this newsletter while she asks me about our Mafia scholars. She wants the updates. She wants to know which babies are struggling. She wants to know where the gaps are. And while she’s sipping her tea, she’s also helping me problem-solve.

Now that is a friend.

And while the world knows her for making them laugh, let me remind you… This woman has been putting skin in the game for Move-In Day Mafia from the beginning.

She went on Celebrity Jeopardy and brought home $30,000 for our babies, even though she will be the first to tell you Jeopardy is not her ministry. She also played Celebrity Family Feud against Shaquille O’Neal and won another $25,000 for us.
She's never had to meet a single student in order for her to fight for them.

That is who she is.

She believes in what Mafia stands for. She believes in our scholars. She believes in the miracles we get to witness.

So while Hollywood celebrates her for the actress, comedian, author, and talk show queen she is…

Mafia celebrates her for the heart she carries and the doors she opens for our babies.

​500 EPISODES YALL! 500!


Adopt A Scholar Week Is In Full Swing
Today is the final day of Adopt A Scholar Week, and you have been showing up big for our babies.

We’ve seen so many thoughtful items added to dorm rooms and daily life this month. Some requests made me smile extra big because you can feel the personality behind them.

A few that stood out:
• Starch

​Apparently crisp creases still matter. Meanwhile, I haven’t plugged in an iron since Obama was in office...the first time!

• Hot Chips Care Package

I had never heard of such a thing...All hot chips...HOT Doritos. HOT Takis. HOT Cheetos.

• 52-Piece Tool Kit
​
Prepared. Handy. Independent.

If something breaks in that dorm, she is the maintenance crew.
• Kitchen Knives
A student with ambition. Maybe a chef. Or maybe just tired of plastic utensils.

• Winter Coats and Scarves and Boots
Because this cold weather don’t play, and neither do we...about our scholars.

• Welch’s Fruit Snacks
And more Welch’s Fruit Snacks. And then another 12-pack of Welch’s Fruit Snacks.

Look… dreams come in all sizes… and sometimes they are gummy.

These lists aren’t random.

They are their real lives, real needs, and real comforts.

If you haven’t had a chance to shop yet, please do by the end of the day, the 21st. And if you are short on time or hate shopping like me, just grab one of the Visa gift cards or donate.

I'm just happy to have you a part of the family.
👉 MoveInDayMafia.org/AdoptAScholar

Let’s close this month wrapped in generosity.

Every month, when our scholars turn in their request forms, we ask, "What are you excited, thankful, or looking forward to?" Plus, we ask what challenges they are facing. Here are a few screenshots straight from their mouths.
​

GOOD NEWS

​CHALLENGES

Back in 2020, the day I was leaving LA to move to Atlanta, Sherri Shepherd stopped by my house and we went to breakfast. ​

My friend was frustrated. Tired of getting told no. A couple of decades later, she was tired of waiting for gatekeepers to decide her dream was worthy.

After being one of the hosts on "The View," having her own talk show was the ultimate desire of her heart, but every door seemed locked.

So this day, I asked her one question that shifted everything.

"Why are you waiting for permission? You already have everything you need. Just start talking. Launch a podcast."

A few weeks later, she texted me a logo.

Two Funny Mamas Podcast.

A podcast she launched with Kym Whitley. A podcast that led to multiple NAACP Image Awards!

They showed up. They talked. They built a vibe.

And guess what?

Honing her chops on that podcast opened up guest-hosting opportunities on daytime TV. Those guest spots opened more eyes. And that opened the door for her ultimate dream.

Fast forward to today.

My girl is an Emmy-winning talk show host with her own national television show that just celebrated 500 episodes.

All because she decided to stop waiting… and start moving.

Sometimes the miracle will not introduce itself until after you take the first step.

You start.

Then God multiplies.

Do what you can with what you have.

Give your faith something to grab onto.

Show up like the resources already exist.

Because when you move, miracles move too.

See you next week Mafia Miracle Maker. And don't forget, today, the 21st is the last day to grab items to wrap November's Adopt A Scholar week. MoveInDayMafia.org/AdoptAScholar

​Thank you for EVERYTHING.