 Hey Mafia Miracle Makers! Baaaaaaaby, what a week! My heart is still grinning! Our very own loudest Mafia celebrity ambassador and my sister-friend of nearly 25 years, Sherri Shepherd, got her star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame this past Monday!!!!!!  Just typing that sentence still gives me the chills...it was a moment over 30 years in the making...watching dreams come true. Now you know I lived and worked in Hollywood for 25 years. I’ve been on sets, attended premieres, and walked red carpets. I’ve seen the glamour, and I’ve edited more A-listers than I can count. But this one? This one hit different. Because I remember when that star was just a dream Sherri whispered out loud years ago. To be there, listening to Tyler Perry and Niecy Nash talk about her God-given light and then watching her name be unveiled, I couldn't stop the tears.  And to make it even sweeter, I wasn’t just watching from the crowd. I was seated front and center with my fellow Sunshine Queens, with my name printed on a reserved seat right there on Hollywood Boulevard.   Now, if I tell you something, you promise not to laugh or disown me? My reserved seat put me right behind music icon...legendary drummer...the Glamorous Life queen, Sheila E! Well, here's the part that might cause you not to want to be seen in public with me. I leaned forward to introduce myself and thank her. Years ago, for my mom's Wanda Mercer master's graduation party, Sherri got Ms. Sheila to record a congratulations video where she played drums and sang Glamorous Life directly for Mama. Since perimenopause got me carrying a personal fan around everywhere, when I leaned over towards Ms. Sheila... Yall... My fan's blades got caught in her ponytail. I Was Mortified! I started apologizing and explaining profusely as I was trembling, trying to untangle it, and ultimately had to just pull some of her hair out. 🤯🤯🤯🤯 Mor-ti-fied! Fortunately, she was totally cool about it.  Look closely. You can see the hair in the fan after I got it untangled. LawdHamMussyGeezus ... The predicaments I get myself into. It was still an incredible day! The Sunshine Queens Shine Bright A few weeks before her big day, I popped up at Sherri’s Atlanta book signing for her new children’s book, Sunshine Queens.  Now, I already knew she’d dedicated the book to a group of us, her real-life Sunshine Queens, but she flipped the script when she talked about how our friendship had blessed her. Right there in front of the whole crowd, she shared stories from our 25-year sisterhood and made sure the audience knew about Move-In Day Mafia. It reminded me why she’s the truest kind of friend...the one who never misses a chance to shine light on someone else’s purpose. And when I saw that beautiful dedication page where she named me, I felt every bit of her love and generosity. So yes, I proudly added #SunshineQueen to my list of monikers.  And if you have a daughter whom you want to teach the joy of sisterhood, be sure to grab a copy of Sunshine Queens! The Jeopardy “Loss” That Was Really a Win And you know we have to talk about Sherri’s other kind of history-making moment. Yep, our girl officially went down as one of the lowest-scoring winners in Celebrity Jeopardy history. But here’s what most people don’t know: she knew going in she wasn’t going to do well. She’s the first to admit Jeopardy isn’t her ministry. She played anyway. Why? Because she knew that just for showing up, Move-In Day Mafia would receive $30,000.  So while social media was laughing at the scoreboard, I was shouting hallelujah because she was playing for our babies. And as if that wasn’t enough, she later played Celebrity Family Feud for us too, where she was up against NBA superstar Shaquille O'Neal...and walked away with $25,000!  That’s Sherri. When she believes in you, she shows up. And when she shows up, she goes all out. Her heart is big, her giving is quiet, and her belief in people is loud. Double Miracles: A Star and a Stage After celebrating Sherri’s star all day, I got home that night, kicked off my sparkly Chucks, and opened my email. Right there waiting for me was a message saying my TED Talk had just gone live on the site! THE SUPERPOWER WE'VE BEEN TAUGHT TO HIDE  Only God could line it up like that on the same day...one of my dearest friends being honored for her light, and me being released to share mine on the same day. You can check it out here! That’s divine alignment at its finest. Monday was a goooooooood day Mafia Miracle Maker!  GOOD NEWS  CHALLENGES   Standing there on Hollywood Boulevard watching Sherri get her star, I couldn’t help but think about where she started.
There was a time when my friend was unhoused, couch surfing, and taking the bus to auditions. There was a time when she had to crawl through her car window just to drive to work. There was a time when she was told “no” so many times that quitting might’ve made sense. But she didn’t quit. Even through eviction notices, heartbreak, and seasons that felt impossible, she kept showing up. She kept believing. She kept working her dream while waiting on her miracle. And now, her name is literally carved into the streets she used to walk, dreaming of the day she’d belong there. It hit me deep because that’s my dream story too. I was that little country girl from Jackson, Tennessee, who used to walk that same street during my very first internship in Hollywood. I’d look down at those stars, wondering if I’d ever get to be part of the stories behind them. Twenty-five years later, I can say I did. So if you’re tired, if you’re questioning whether your yes still matters, let me remind you of something. It’s not about how fast you get there, it’s about refusing to quit on the way. Sherri’s story is proof that no season disqualifies you when you stay in motion. You may need to pause, pivot, or catch your breath, but don’t you dare quit. Your star moment may not be on a sidewalk, but it’s already on Heaven’s calendar. Keep going until God pulls back the curtain and lets the world see what He’s been building in you all along. Alright Mafia Miracle Maker...Have a great weekend. Don't forget to comment. Plus! You can always donate at MoveInDayMafia.org/Donate And again...you can check out my Ted Talk at https://special.teejmercer.com/TeeJTedTalk  Hey Mafia Miracle Makers! In the last edition, I told you that Move-In Day Mafia launched with miracles. But I realized... I never actually told you HOW it all started. So let’s rewind to the very beginning. Now...just in case you are new here... Move-In Day Mafia gives H.U.G.S. (Hope, Understanding, Generosity, and Stability) to HBCU scholars who have aged out of foster care or are unhoused, and we take care of them for four years with monthly care packages. How It Started It all began in 2020 during the pandemic when I created HBCU Bingo--a virtual celebration to honor students whose HBCU graduations had been canceled. I'm a graduate of Howard University, so HBCUs are special to me. That’s when I met Eshontee Rowe, a young woman who was dropped off at her HBCU by her social worker after aging out of foster care. She didn’t have parents helping her move in. She didn’t have family setting up her room. She made that transition alone. Until that moment, I had never even thought about students like her. But from the second we met, I knew I had to do something. I didn't know how. I didn't know when. But I knew I was called to activate and solve this problem. I thought about it constantly. I talked to folks about it. It sometimes kept me up at night. That encounter planted the seed that would later grow into Move-In Day Mafia. The 52-Day Countdown Two years later, on Juneteenth, I was in my prayer closet and was nudged to study Nehemiah, the man who rebuilt Jerusalem’s wall in 52 days. 52 days! That number 52 stayed heavy on my spirit all day. I couldn't shake it. Finally, I decided to count 52 days ahead. The date landed on August 10th. At first, August 10th meant nothing. Then... Something hit me..."Call Paul Quinn College," a small HBCU in Dallas that I'd toured the year before and found myself totally impressed and drawn to their commitment to their scholars. It didn't occur to me it was a federal holiday, so I tracked down the number and would you believe... SOMEBODY ANSWERED! I asked when their move-in day was. She said, “August 10th.” I almost dropped my phone. That was the moment I knew. God was setting this up, and it was go time. But seriously, God...52 days??? What??? Now understand me, Mafia Miracle Maker...I'm an award-winning TV editor and producer with a 25+ year resume that I'm quite proud of. I'm a creative through and through, so starting a nonprofit was NEVER on my bucket list, and I felt so unqualified and unskilled. But my obedience overrides my comfort every time, therefore, I hit up my volunteer team that helped me put together the virtual HBCU BINGO and got to work. Plus! The number 13 had been showing up for months in so many unexpected ways, so I knew we were supposed to move in 13 scholars. We had no funding, no blueprint, and no idea how it was going to happen. I moved on what I DID know. I knew God had given me an assignment. I knew Nikki Klugh Design Group had agreed to design the rooms. I knew Paul Quinn would choose the 13 students who needed our help. And.. We raised $3,500 from a raffle, but c'mon now...you know that wasn’t nearly enough to move in 13 kids. Talk about odds not in our favor. Still, it was time to head to Dallas simply on what I knew and trust God for the rest. The $17,000 MiracleOur first mission was set. Nikki, my assistant LaTerra and I landed in Dallas with $3,500 in the bank, believing God was about to pull a “two fish, five loaves of bread” kind of miracle. I could feel the weight of every expectation. My team was trusting that I had really heard from God, and even though nobody said a word, I could tell they were wondering if I’d lost my mind. Truth be told, I was wondering too. I remember pacing that Airbnb, trying to silence my own doubts. An hour before shopping, I had what I call a business meeting with God. I said, “Okay Lord, what’s the strategy? Which stores do we hit first? What do You want me to do?” I was nervous as all get-out. Then I felt Him say, Call Teri Ijeoma.  Teri was one of my former media clients. And at that moment, calling her felt random. I wasn’t in a “Hey girl” mood, so I thought I'd just text her. As soon as I opened my text app, I heard a firm "I SAID CALL!" in my spirit. With trembling hands, I called and to my surprise... Teri answered! Nervous as all get out, I explained what we wanted to do. And here’s the wild part. I had no idea Teri was from Dallas. Her next question floored me. “How much are you short?” I whispered, “Seventeen thousand.” Without hesitation, she said, “You’ll have it in an hour.” And y’all... my PayPal pinged less than 60 minutes later! That day, obedience turned into overflow. With the help of 13 volunteers, 13 Paul Quinn received decked-out dorm rooms, and the miracle movement that brought you here was born!  From that one “yes” in Dallas, Move-In Day Mafia has now moved in 109 scholars at 28 HBCUs and continues to care for 60 students at 25 HBCUs every single month this school year. Now do you see why we are miracles in motion?! So when people ask me how I walk around with crazy faith believing for impossible things for these scholars, it’s simple. I’ve seen God show out before, and I expect Him to do it again...and again...and again.  Good News  Challenges   Maybe that’s what this story is really about. Not just my miracle, but yours waiting to be born. Because there’s a good chance that the problem that keeps you up at night, the one that won’t leave your spirit alone, is the very thing God is calling you to fix. I know that kind of faith can feel scary. But I’ve seen what happens when you trust God enough to move, even when the math doesn’t make sense. From that first “yes” in Dallas, miracles have been multiplying ever since. In 2023, we raised $150,000 and moved in 31 students at 5 HBCUs. In 2024, we grew again, raising $250,000 and moved in 40 students at 19 HBCUs. And in 2025, we moved in 26 students at 13 HBCUs; the amount raised for this year is still growing. That’s why I believe with my whole heart that obedience unlocks overflow. Because I’ve watched it happen. Over and over again. When regular people...folks just like you...say yes to being somebody’s answered prayer, heaven gets to work. See you next week. And as always, like comment or smack that SHARE button so other Mafia Miracle Makers can join the family by volunteering or donating at MoveInDayMafia.org  October has been nothing short of miraculous.  With over 60 students at 25 HBCUs, this means snacks, hoodies, and hygiene items are already headed our babies' way...thanks to YOU!  When 2023 rolled around and we filmed our next move-in season, Terry and his incredible team delivered a stunning recap video that still brings me to tears. And when it came time to host our first-ever live fundraiser, THEE HBCU Bingo Experience, I didn’t even hesitate. I called Terry and said, “You in?” And, just like family, he said yes. Orange Strategy became our official media partner...capturing the joy, the laughter, the dancing, and the culture that night. And babyyyyy, if you haven’t seen that recap video yet, trust me, it’s electric. The very company that showed up when I had nothing but faith is now helping us show the world what Move-In Day Mafia really looks like in motion. A random walk. A closed pool. A patio. And one divine appointment that changed everything. You can’t tell me God will not go out of HIS way to pull off miracle meetings, and I can't wait to show you the decked-out dorm show we're working on. Check out Terry and the HBCU Bingo recap video here! STRAIGHT FROM THE SCHOLARS (GOOD NEWS)  STRAIGHT FROM THE SCHOLARS (GOOD NEWS)   Miracles Don't Miss
Sometimes God delays you on purpose. What feels like procrastination might just be precision. If I had left the house on time that day, I would’ve missed Terry and the miracle that birthed our show. That walk, that detour, that patio… it wasn’t random. It was orchestrated. Because miracles don’t miss. They have perfect aim. They don’t need our GPS, our hustle, or our panic. They just need our obedience to move. So the next time it feels like you’re “running behind,” remember... you might be running right on Heaven’s schedule. See you next week. As always, like, comment, subscribe, aaaaaaand DONATE! MoveInDayMafia.org/Donate  Mafia Miracle Makers (MMM)! When you help us move in our scholars every August, it is just the beginning of our journey with them. It's the monthly miracles you help us manifest for them that create a more massive impact in their lives.   BK – From Surviving to Shining at Clark Atlanta   RK - From Chaos to the City of Lights with a Stop at Disney World |
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
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