 Hey Mafia Miracle Makers!!! If you’ve ever needed proof that miracles can look loud, funny, faithful, and practical all at the same time… Pull up a chair. Because I have been sitting on this for MONTHS. Not because it wasn’t exciting. Not because it wasn’t a miracle. But because so much life kept happening back-to-back, I didn’t get the chance to sit still long enough to tell it properly until now. And now... I can finally tell you the whole story. People who know me know this about me… I LOVE a good surprise. So a few months ago, I hopped on what I thought was a regular ol’ strategy call with our partners at Best Buy. Nothing dramatic. Just planning, impact, logistics. The usual. Mind you, this is a company that had already given Move-In Day Mafia $30,000 and had been showing up with real care and real People Power. We’re wrapping up the call, feeling good. And then our project lead casually slides in, “TeeJ, I actually have more good news for you.” I froze. Like…FROZE. And then he starts telling me about what they were gifting to each of our incoming students for the 2025-26 school year. Y’all. I jumped out of my chair so fast I scared myself. Thank GOD I had on pajama pants, because what followed was all of this booty sprinting around the room in disbelief, praise, and pure joy. And here’s the part that made me stop and just shake my head… That pajama-pants moment wasn’t just funny. It was the payoff of a ten-year desire. OH WAIT…IF YOU’RE NEW HERE If you’re new here, Move-In Day Mafia is rooted in H.U.G.S. Hope. Understanding. Generosity. Stability. We’re the crew that moves HBCU students who have aged out of foster care, are unhoused, or fighting financial challenges into their dorms and surrounds them with family for four years. This right here? This is what H.U.G.S. looks like in real life. THE SURPRISE I DIDN'T SEE COMING Mafia Miracle Maker...I am jumping up and down... Best Buy provided BRAND-NEW VR HEADSETS FOR ALL 26 OF OUR 2025-26 MOVE-IN DAY MAFIA SCHOLARS!!!! Let me pause right here, because I need to make sure you understand why this is not just a BIG deal but a HUGE deal. A VR headset is not a toy. It’s not a video game distraction. It’s not extra. It’s access. It’s stepping inside careers before you ever apply. It’s walking through places you’ve only ever seen in books. It’s learning in full color and dimension when education has always been flat and limited. It’s a reminder that says, “You belong in these spaces too.”  And here’s the part that still gets me… Some of our scholars had never owned a piece of technology like this before. And now? They EACH have one. Not shared. Not borrowed. Not rotated. THEIRS. And when it came time for the room reveals? I saved the headsets for last. Because LOOK at these faces.    Seeing deserving students receive a want, not just a need? Facilitating these with other Mafia Miracle Makers??? Is this really my job?! THE BACKSTORY TO THE MIRACLE Back in 2016, I started saying something that sounded completely delusional at the time. I even turned it into a hashtag: #BestBuyIsMySponsorTheyJustDontKnowItYet I said it for TEN YEARS nonstop. Not because I had a pitch. Not because I had a proposal. Not because I even knew what I wanted them to sponsor. All I knew waaaaaas... Best Buy was my favorite store, and somehow…we were gonna ride together someday. Fast forward to "someday" in 2023. I found out that one of my Facebook friends worked at Best Buy corporate. What I didn’t know at the time was that she had been quietly, strategically putting Move-In Day Mafia’s name in front of the right people. Then one day, I got a call that started with, “TeeJ…are you sitting down?” Followed by, “BEST BUY IS GOING TO GIVE MOVE-IN DAY MAFIA $10,000.” That delusional declaration I had whispered for a decade? It came true. But it didn’t stop there. In 2024, Best Buy came back and DOUBLED IT. They didn’t just bring dollars either. They brought People Power. If you saw them at Morehouse, Clark Atlanta, Spelman, or Miles College, you already know. They weren’t there for photo ops. They were moving furniture. Mopping dorm room floors. Hanging pictures. Doing the gritty work with quiet excellence.  Last week, we told you about E.Z., our sophomore at Savannah State, who experienced a stroke earlier this month. She’s incredibly young for something like that, and while we’re still waiting on full clarity around her long-term prognosis, this update brought real relief.  She’s grateful. She’s encouraged. She’s feeling the love. And that matters. A QUICK CELEBRATION BREAK Last weekend, while half the country was iced over, we had a little fun called #DonateYourTemperature. You checked the temperature where you live and donated that amount. So if it was 52 degrees…$52. If it were 9 degrees…yes, $9. We saw you 😄 And for my people in negative temperatures (because absolutely not)… We told you to donate the temperature you wished it was. Y’all showed up. Donations ranged from $9 to $100, and every dollar helped support our scholars. So it’s only right that we announce the winner…  There's a #IBelieveInMiraclesForMoveInDayMafia shirt headed your way. Thank you to everybody who played along and gave with joy.  Last week, we talked about hurdles, and I kept thinking about it all this week. So let me tell you something I probably shouldn’t admit, but here we are. For YEARS, getting out the house to exercise in the morning felt like a mental obstacle course. I’d spend more time trying to motivate myself than actually moving. That changed when I stopped relying on motivation and put in a fail-safe. Now I sleep in my workout clothes. And if I don’t, I lay them on the floor in front of the toilet...yup, you read that right... When I get up half-sleep for that morning release, I put my workout clothes on automatically while I'm sitting there. No brushing teeth. No washing my face. No checking my phone. Judge me if you want. But by the time my brain wakes up, I’m already out the door. Here’s the motivation... Sometimes the hurdle isn’t the lack of strength. It’s friction. And the miracle isn’t motivation. It’s doing what you gotta do to clear the hurdle. No matter what anybody thinks. If this story stirred something in you, help us keep showing up for the scholars still running. Support the work at: MoveInDayMafia.org/Donate and/or share this edition. Next week, I can't wait to tell you what surprise Cisco and another nonprofit called Human I-T pulled off to produce more spontaneous smiles. Let’s just say…I'm grinning in anticipation of writing this evidence of "Miracles In Motion." Thank you for being family. Thank you for showing up big. Thank you for believing with us. Hug yourself for me! – TeeJ #MiraclesInMotion  Hey Mafia Miracle Makers!!! If you’ve ever needed proof that what you’re doing matters… If you’ve ever wondered whether those “small” acts of generosity really add up… If you’ve ever questioned whether showing up again and again actually changes anything… Pull up a chair. Because Oooooweeeeee, we are celebrating today! First... This May, FIVE of our Mafia babies are graduating. Read that again. FIVE. GRADUATES. Caps on heads. Degrees in hand. Finish lines crossed. Now let me be very clear... We do not take credit for their studying, their sacrifice, their sleepless nights, or their discipline. THEY ran that race. THEY stayed the course. THEY earned those degrees. But what we can be grateful for is this: When life threw hurdles in their lanes, they didn’t have to clear them alone. Oh wait though... If you’re new here, Move-In Day Mafia is the crew that moves HBCU students who have aged out of foster care, are unhoused, or fighting financial challenges into their dorms and surrounds them with family for four years with monthly care packages. We are rooted in H.U.G.S. Hope. Understanding. Generosity. Stability. So no, the Mafia family doesn’t run the race for them. But we do everything in our power to make sure they don’t have to quit. Not Everyone Is at the Finish Line Yet Every miracle doesn’t look like a graduation stage. => Some miracles look like still being enrolled. => Some look like making it through one more semester. => Some look like not having to walk away. Which brings me to R.D., a junior at Fisk University. He's not graduating...yet. But let me tell you…he almost had to stop running. Last week, R.D. emailed us and said something no student ever wants to say. He was going to have to leave school. Why? Because he needed $8,000 to stay enrolled. Didn’t have it. Didn’t know where it was coming from. And time was running out. That’s a hurdle tall enough to knock you out of the race. R.D. is studying psychology and dreams of owning his own counseling practice one day. He wants to help people heal. He has a very loving sister and brother who believe in him deeply. But when their mom, their primary caregiver, passed away when R.D. was just 18 years old, the three of them suddenly found themselves out here trying to make their dreams come true without a safety net. Still…R.D. kept running...staying in the race. And then… GOD DROPPED A MIRACLE. Not later. Not “eventually.” But RIGHT. ON. TIME. Mafia Miracle Maker, that $8,000 MIRACULOUSLY showed up. Y’all hear me??? THE MONEY. SHOWED. UP. And THIS, Miracle Maker, is exactly why we call this the Mafia Miracle Report.  R.D. got registered as a second-semester junior. Every class he needed was available. No doors closed. No plans derailed. And in his own words, R.D. said: “It couldn’t have been anybody but God.” This was the difference between: * quitting and continuing * walking away and staying put * a dream ending and a dream staying alive R.D. is still in the race. Still hurdling. Still one step closer.  I’ll let their words speak for themselves. GOOD NEWS FIRST    CHALLENGES   Let’s Officially Celebrate the Mafia Family I forgot to put it in the first edition of 2026. So let’s say this now out loud and officially, right here in the Mafia Miracle Report. IN 2025, MORE THAN 600 MAFIA MIRACLE MAKERS SHOWED UP AND PURCHASED OVER 6400 ITEMS FOR OUR SCHOLARS!!!!! SIX. THOUSAND. FOUR. HUNDRED. AND TWENTY SEVEN TO BE EXACT!  Those items didn’t walk across the graduation stage. But they made it possible for someone else to. That’s H.U.G.S. in action. That’s Hope when things looked bleak. That’s Understanding showing up month after month. That’s Generosity filling in the gaps. That’s Stability when life tried to shake everything loose. This is why five scholars are graduating this May. This is why R.D. is still enrolled today. This is why the race continues.  Life doesn’t remove the hurdles. It just keeps putting them in your lane. And sometimes the miracle isn’t finishing first. Sometimes the miracle is staying in the race when quitting feels justified. So if you’re tired…rest but get back in the race. If the hurdle looks too high…remember you’re not jumping alone. And if you’re helping someone else clear theirs…know that you’re part of the miracle. That matters more than you know. If this celebration stirred something in you, help us keep showing up for the scholars still running. Support the next stretch of the race at: MoveInDayMafia.org/Donate Thank you for being family. Thank you for showing up consistently. Thank you for refusing to let our babies quit. Hug yourself for me! – TeeJ Oh and don't forget to share, like, and comment!  Hey Mafia Miracle Makers! We're back but whew...barely! I owe y’all a quick word before we go any further. I missed last week. Life has been lifing. A couple of weeks ago, I lost two cousins within 24 hours of each other, and if I’m being honest, I just didn’t have the mental capacity to write a Mafia Miracle Report last week. Grief will do that. So will responsibility. So will carrying students you love. And truth be told, I didn’t really have the capacity to write this week either. But then…miracles started interrupting me yesterday. And I could NOT, not tell you. Hold on... If you’re new here, Move-In Day Mafia stands for Hope, Understanding, Generosity, and Stability (H.U.G.S.). We’re the crew that moves HBCU students who have aged out of foster care, are unhoused or fighting against financial challenges...we move them into their dorms and send them monthly care packages to surround them with family for the four years. And baby…family shows up even when they’re tired. I ALMOST TALKED MYSELF OUT OF A MIRACLE I've been a little down. My Mafia babies are going through it, and looking at everything coming down the pike had me feeling overwhelmed and anxious about how to manage it all. So this week, I woke up with the overwhelming urge to reactivate my membership at my co-working club. Working at home in isolation is no longer working for me. I need people. But of course…I started negotiating. Should I really go? It’s late. They close at 9. Is it worth it for just a few hours? Around 4pm, in the middle of a meeting, the urge to go got so strong that as soon as the meeting was over, I knew I was supposed to head on over. So I obeyed. But then...something small but very specific happened. At the last minute, I changed my shirt. And let me be clear…this was not nothing. I decided to throw on a shirt that repped my sister’s alma mater, Spelman, instead of my own beloved Howard University. Now listen. Anybody who knows me knows I am insufferable about Howard. So this was…suspicious. There was no big reason. Just a nudge. I didn’t know then that it would matter later.  I walked into the club a little after 5…and immediately ran into an old friend I had thought about two weeks earlier. Then, as I was setting up to work, I ran into another friend I hadn’t seen in a minute. And then… As I’m catching up with him, I look up…and a woman I met last year is walking straight toward me. We met because of another divine setup. An unexpected detour on one of my daily walks. I learned she worked in community affairs for a professional sports team. We hit it off, then life happened and we lost touch. Y’all… She tells me she’s since moved on and now works for a multi-BILLION-dollar fast food company. I catch her up on the latest with Mafia. And without hesitation, she says, “Let’s do lunch. I have something for your babies.” Did I mention that day was her first day back at the club? And THEN it hit me. The Spelman shirt I almost didn’t put on? It's HER alma mater! She sees the shirt. We start talking about Mafia covering Atlanta's four HBCUs but not getting any Morris Brown students to apply and she tells me she knows the new interim president and will text her about us! What???? But I'm not finished Miracle Maker... Since I was wearing that shirt, two Spelman alum came up to me. One brought ideas and wants to volunteer. The other turned out to be the membership coordinator for the club. She wants to send out a blast about Mafia AND introduce me to her mentor, who happens to sit on the board of the local Jack & Jill chapter. Jack & Jill chapters across the country has shown Mafia so much love. That’s not luck. That’s obedience doing what it does. BUT WAIT. IT GETS BETTER! It's currently Adopt A Scholar Week. Yesterday, I made a simple post asking for a pink stethoscope for a Delaware State scholar who wants to go to medical school.  What most people didn’t know is that this same scholar had already asked us about MCAT help, and I just hadn’t even had the chance yet to tap into our Move-In Day Mafia network. Then Jeannie Avikainen Burlowski, an academic coach, stepped in and said she would help her with her medical school application...FOR FREE!  Decades of experience. Thousands of dollars worth of support. Freely given. A prayer I hadn’t even prayed yet…answered. Oh, and yes. The pink stethoscope got bought! Y’all…this is why I’m loud with #ScholarStories. Because when we share, miracles find their way to the right ears. AND THIS IS WHERE Y'ALL COME IN Because on these #AdoptAScholar wishlists right now, we’re not talking about luxury. We’re talking about focus, comfort, and dignity. We’re talking about a student at South Carolina State asking for laminated calculus tables A Spelman scholar asking for therapy coloring books. A Shaw student asking for a heating pad. A Texas Southern scholar asking for cologne. Please pop over to MoveInDayMafia.org/AdoptAScholar to grab items by January 21st. Short on time? Head over to Prairie View, Clark Atlanta, or Savannah State. They need love. Don't have time to shop, you can always let us do it for you by donating at MoveInDayMafia.org/Donate  OBEY THE NUDGE I didn’t think I had the capacity to write this week. Grief and responsibility had already taken up all the space I had. But the nudge showed up anyway. Obedience doesn’t always arrive with energy or clarity. Sometimes it shows up as a quiet discomfort, a last-minute shirt change, or an urge you can’t explain away. And when you obey it, you don’t just step into your own miracle. You make room for someone else’s answered prayer too. So if something small keeps tapping you on the shoulder this week, don’t overthink it. Obey. The motivation you think you’re missing might be waiting on the other side of your yes. See you next week Miracle Maker. Thank you for everything!  Oooooweeee Mafia Miracle Makers!!! I'm jumping up and down cuz I've been itching for Friday to get there so I can tell you the good news that YOU are a part of. Today, we are celebrating FINISHING. Finishing through tears. Finishing through detours. Finishing through couch surfing. And finishing through a whole lot of “I don’t know how, but I'm not quitting.” Y'all! Last weekend, not one, BUT TWO MAFIA BABIES WALKED ACROSS THAT GRADUATION STAGE!!!!!!! You hear me, Miracle Maker? You screaming? You beaming? So yes...yes… this is a celebration edition. But it's also a “THIS is why Move-In Day Mafia exists” edition. Let's start with JS! Oh wait...Just in case you are new here. I'm TeeJ, founder of Move-In Day Mafia, a do-gooding outfit (nonprofit) that provides decked-out dorm rooms and monthly care packages for HBCU students who have aged out of foster care or are unhoused...and we take care of them for four years to graduation! J.S. MIRACLE AT THE FINISH LINE Last Friday, I woke up to a message that the person who had committed to covering the cap and gown for J.S., our graduating scholar at Prairie View A&M in Houston, TX, had become quiet. Unresponsive. And graduation was Saturday. 🤯 I grabbed my computer and sent out a slightly panicked email to our Mafia family email list telling them the problem, knowing J.S. was worried and stressed the day before her big day. That should not happen! But I know our Mafia family. They don't play 'bout our babies. To date, not one emergency request has ever gone unhandled (did I make up a word)...but no...never unhandled. And after everything J.S. had already survived this year, the thought that something as small as a cap and gown could keep her from walking that stage absolutely wrecked me. Depending on how long you've rocked with us, you might remember... Back in April, I had to send another emergency email about J.S. She'd reached out late at night because she had been told she had to leave from where she was couch surfing. Immediately. No warning. No backup plan. Because of you, Mafia moved fast. We got her somewhere safe. She caught her breath. And she pushed forward. So when this cap and gown situation popped up, it felt like the finish line was being dangled in front of her and then yanked away. Again. But then something beautiful happened. Y’all responded One of our admins had to put her other work on hold for several hours because so many of you hit our inbox asking to be the one to come through with the miracle. " I would be honored to buy it." “Let me handle it.” “I want to make sure she walks.” So we sent her the money. And at the very last minute, the original person came through with the money. But here is the part that will make you smile. Guess what J.S. did? She reached back out and told us she wanted to send the money back since the orginal person came through. Let that land. She did not have to do that. She could have stayed quiet. And given everything she has faced, no one would have questioned her if she had kept it. But that is not who she is. So I told her no. I wanted her to keep it as part of her graduation gift. A moment to celebrate herself. A reminder that she did not just survive this season. She finished it. J.S. GRADUAAAAAAAATED! She is officially a Prairie View A&M alum. Move-In Day Mafia has another graduate Miracle Maker. Another young woman who made it to the finish line with integrity, resilience, quiet strength… and YOU. HOW B.J. STARTED IS NOT HOW SHE FINISHED Before J.S. graced the stage on Saturday, we had B.J. take HER walk across the Savannah State University stage on Friday! And unlike some of our scholars whom we meet at the very beginning of their college journey, B.J. came to Move-In Day Mafia as a senior. We didn’t meet her at the starting line. We met her in the homestretch. And I was determined that the final miles of her race would not feel rushed, lonely, or overlooked. Because here’s the truth. B.J. has been running uphill for a long time. Her mother had her at fourteen and struggled with instability. She was placed with an aunt who battled addiction. After her aunt passed away, B.J. was left in the care of the aunt’s boyfriend. And when B.J. was twelve years old, that man began abusing her. That abuse continued for two years. TWO YEARS. Until... B.J. found the courage to tell a friend. That friend told someone else. And everything finally changed. There were foster placements. A mother in and out of prison. No relationship with her biological father. Years where consistency was rare, and safety was not guaranteed. And yet… somewhere around fifteen years old, B.J. made a decision. The world was not going to get to decide how her story ended. She leaned into school. She leaned into faith. She leaned into programs and people who could help her see past survival mode. And she kept going. She beat the odds to become a Biology major, carrying a dream of becoming an ER physician. When B.J. came to Move-In Day Mafia, she didn’t ask for extravagance. She asked for calm. Organization. Storage. Lighting. A blue blanket. A bed skirt to cover what she keeps under her bed. She said she wanted her room to feel like a sanctuary while she finished strong. And because of you, Miracle Maker, that’s exactly what she received. But more than items, she received something harder to quantify. She finished knowing she was not invisible. She walked across that stage on Friday knowing someone had been cheering for her in the last miles. Knowing she didn’t have to muscle through the ending alone. SHEEEEEE FINISHEEEEEED! SHE'S OFFICIALLY A SAVANNAH STATE ALUM!!  And this right here… this is why we do this. Not for the pictures. Not for the applause. But for moments like these, when two young women get to finish something that tried hard to stop them. There is so much pride in the Mafia family right now. I know you feel it. Now 'bout we hear...  Every month, when they send their wishlists, our babies also have to tell us what they are grateful for. Here's what J.B. said...  FROM OTHER STUDENTS...    This month marks one full year of Adopt A Scholar Week. And I don’t want to rush past that. For twelve straight months, you have shown up for these scholars when it mattered. Not when it was convenient. Not when it was flashy. But when real students needed real help. That’s why $25 gift cards matter. That’s why $10 matters. That’s why $1 matters. Because consistency is what changes outcomes. We have three days left in this month’s Adopt A Scholar Week. This round is Visa gift cards only because several of our scholars are couch surfing and need flexibility, not boxes. If you can grab a $25 gift card, please do. MoveInDayMafia.org/AdoptAScholar If that’s not in your budget, you can give any amount at: 👉🏽 MoveInDayMafia.org/donate This family doesn’t move based on equal amounts. We move based on equal commitment. What matters most is that no one carries this alone. Before I let you go… I want to thank you for walking this year with us. For reading. For giving. For caring. For showing up when it counted. As the holidays roll in, my hope is that you rest, laugh, eat something delicious, and feel surrounded by whatever “family” looks like for you. I’ll be taking a little pause to soak all of that in, too. But don’t get it twisted...we’re not slowing down. We’re just gathering ourselves for what’s next. I’ll see you in 2026, ready to keep building, loving, and moving miracles forward together. Until then… Hug yourself for me. Don't forget...by the 21st...MoveInDayMafia.org/AdoptAScholar  Hey Mafia Miracle Makers! This edition will be a little different. Usually, I try to stay scholar-focused, but this week please give me grace to go a bit off-script. Today’s edition might sound a little like I’m giving QVC energy or running a Home Shopping Network side hustle, but I promise. I just want to lift up a few folks who have held me down with Mafia. If you are new here...since 2022, Move-In Day Mafia has pulled up to HBCU campuses to provide decked-out dorm rooms and monthly care packages for students who have aged out of foster care or are unhoused. And todaaaaaaay... We are celebrating a few of the most loyal, faithful foundational volunteers this Mafia has ever seen… AND the products they've created that deserve to be wrapped under somebody’s Christmas tree. Because every single person I’m spotlighting today has known me looooooong before Move-In Day Mafia existed. They knew me when I was Hollywood TeeJ, then author/speaker TeeJ. They knew me before God tossed me into nonprofit life. They knew me when I was scared, overwhelmed, and absolutely convinced I was unqualified to create anything that didn't have anything to do with stories on TV. And they stayed. They supported. They covered me. They cheered while I evolved from a Hollywood veteran… to a woman answering a divine assignment… to the founder of an organization I still sometimes look at like, “Wait… God, you sure you meant me?” So no, this is not a self-promotion edition. This is a gratitude edition that just so happens to help you with your Christmas shopping. This is me saying: “These folks have held me down… so let me hold THEM up.” NIKKI KLUGH There are volunteers, and then there are vision carriers. And Nikki Klugh? She’s the latter.  Nikki caught the concept of Move-In Day Mafia about ten years before God ever birthed it. Back when I just had an idea for a dorm makeover TV show but knew the timing wasn’t right, Nikki said, “Whenever it becomes real, I’m in.” And baby… she meant that. When God finally gave me clarity on how Mafia was supposed to be born, Nikki didn’t hesitate. She slid right in like, “Let’s go. Let’s build this.” From day one, Nikki has been in the trenches with me. Her commitment has never wavered. Her heart has never shifted. Her excellence has never dipped. Because if you’ve ever seen a Move-In Day Mafia dorm room and wondered why it looks like a show on HGTV instead of a “bed-in-a-bag special”… it’s because Nikki Klugh Design Group designed it. Every single scholar room. Every theme. Every detail. Every moment meant to say, “This is YOUR sacred space.” That is Nikki. Her company, Nikki Klugh Design Group (NKDG), has transformed hundreds of spaces since 2003 into luxurious sanctuaries they call Sacred Spaces. Spaces created for healing, restoration, and calm. Spaces that celebrate your wins and remind you that you deserve beauty, comfort, and joy every day. NKDG is so good at what they do that they designed the National Headquarters for Zeta Phi Beta Sorority, Inc. They’ve been featured in HGTV, Home Depot, Fast Company, and more.  This is not regular-degular design. This is both budget-friendly and luxury. Design that breathes. Aesthetic that hugs you back. And if you want design tips or want to start creating a Sacred Space in your own home, start here: 👉 https://nikkiklughdesign.com/ PATRICE JOHNSON If you have ever emailed Move-In Day Mafia, chances are you’ve already met Patrice… even if you didn’t know it.  Patrice is our Mafia Admin. She answers every email with patience, clarity, and a kindness that makes people say, “Whoever this is… I love her.” I've known Patrice for like 20 years, and she has stuck beside me through every evolution of me. She has been holding me down looooooooong before Mafia existed. But here’s the fun part: Patrice is also a Paparazzi Accessories Consultant… and listen… if you or your cousin or your coworker or your kid’s teacher needs some cute, affordable, “I need to look pulled together on Zoom” jewelry… Patrice is your girl. Everything is $8. Yes, eight dollars.  Here’s her site if you want to support someone who supports this Mafia with her whole heart: 👉 www.paparazziaccessories.com/381571 ANDREA HARRISON Now listen… if Patrice is the calm in the chaos, Andrea is the megaphone in my miracle moments.  This woman has been with me since BEFORE Mafia… back when I was a media coach helping her dynamo daughter prep for her Steve Harvey Show appearance. And from that day to this one, Andrea's support has been LOUD, relentless, and rooted in love. This woman has been with me since BEFORE Mafia… back when I was a media coach helping her dynamo daughter prep for her Steve Harvey Show appearance. And from that day, Andrea's support has been LOUD, relentless, and rooted in love. Andrea is the first person I call when God drops one of His wild, outlandish ideas on me. She never blinks. Never doubts. Never says, “Girl, you sure?” She just goes, “Okay, let’s go then.” She has been one of my biggest cheerleaders for nearly a decade… in my ear, in my corner, pushing me when I’m scared, reminding me who I am when I forget. And I’ve watched HER evolve too. I watched her go from slinging five-dollar jewelry on Facebook Live (which is why I nicknamed her The BlingSlinger) to now hosting daily devotionals called Shine With Andrea every weekday at 10 am ET. If you want a word, a laugh, a check-in, a holy push, or all of the above… tune in here: 👉 https://www.facebook.com/ANDREASHINEHARRISON But yall… Andrea didn’t stop there. Andrea wrote a book. A POWERFUL book. A book so strong that powerhouse Marshawn Evans Daniels (former "The Apprentice" alum) herself wrote the foreword. It’s called Show Up & Shine, and it is a guide for every woman who is tired of shrinking, tired of doubting, tired of hiding her brilliance under humility that God did NOT ask for.  This book walks women from: • Hidden to seen • Burned out to bold • Exhausted to empowered Show Up & Shine is for the woman who knows she’s called… but needs the courage and clarity to actually step into it. You can grab it and learn more about Andrea here: 👉 https://shinewithandrea.com/ MINA STARKS If you have ever seen a Move-In Day Mafia room and wondered how Nikki’s gorgeous design turned into real-life magic on a campus thousands of miles from her office, let me introduce you to the woman who makes the vision hit the floor. Mina is the boots-on-the-ground genius. The detail doula. The “I know it’s 10 pm, but let’s go to one more TJMaxx just in case” queen. When it comes to Mafia, if you see me, you can bet money Mina is somewhere near, watching my back, pushing this mission as hard as I do. She travels with me. She gets in the trenches with me. She has been on wild, “Are we lost or is this still a road” adventures with me.  We have missed flights together (plural)… And still found a way to laugh until our sides hurt. But here is what makes her special: Mina will not, under any circumstances, skimp on a scholar’s room. She will hunt down the perfect throw pillow or lamp that ties the whole thing together. She will add her creative flow to Nikki’s designs so each room feels personalized. Because Mina believes what we believe: Dignity lives in the details. And she makes sure every scholar walks into a room that whispers: “We see you.” “We thought about you.” “You matter.” But let me brag on her other lane… Mina and her husband Raymond, run Stir and Mixxes, a luxury candle company born straight outta love and ambiance mastery. Their hand-poured soy candles aren’t just pretty… they transform rooms. They shift moods. They soften your whole atmosphere like you just stepped into your own personal sacred space.  They are clean, long-lasting, mood-setting, and downright addicting. If you need a Christmas gift that says “I want my house to smell like peace and luxury,” go grab a candle at StirAndMixxes.com. LATERRA WISE Mafia Miracle Maker, I need you to pause right here and whisper a quick prayer for LaTerra. Why? Because she is the one who talks to me every single day. God bless her. She gets all sides of TeeJ. Morning TeeJ. Night-owl TeeJ. “I got a wild idea” TeeJ. “I’m overwhelmed” TeeJ. “I got this… but I actually don't.” TeeJ. And somehow… SOMEHOW… she still loves me. LaTerra is the string to my helium balloon. When my imagination takes off running full speed, she is the calm, steady “Okay, let’s make this make sense first.” She is the rationale to my glitter. The grounded to my giddy. The soft landing to my dramatic free-falls. And when she and Mina are boots on the ground together? Whew. Chile. That is a dynamic duo that deserves its own Marvel movie.  But the story I must share one day… is the time I was trying to be “helpful” on a build and worked their last nerve. Next thing I know… these two dynamos had exiled me to the hallway to guard the trash. GUARD. THE. TRASH. Since when does trash need security? I was out there like a confused bouncer for a bag of old bedding. I still cackle thinking about it. But here’s the real deal… LaTerra doesn’t just support Mafia. She LOOOOOOVES Mafia. She mothers our scholars with a tenderness that cannot be taught. She listens between the words. She notices what they didn’t say. She carries their hearts like they matter… because to her, they do. She is truly the emotional heartbeat of this organization. And when she’s not holding me together or pouring into our scholars, she’s out here helping women step out of survival mode and into purpose. Her coaching, her writing, her speaking… all of it is drenched in wisdom and compassion.  Her newest book, “Unmasked: A 31 Day Journey to Peace, Deep Healing, and True Freedom,” plus her other books and her brand-new coloring book, can be found right here: 👉🏽 Amazon Link: [LaTerra Wise Books] And listen… if you’ve got a sister-friend, coworker, mama, mentee, niece, or auntie who is stepping into a new season… One of LaTerra’s books would make the PERFECT Christmas gift. It’s encouragement. It’s healing. It’s hope… wrapped up in pages. And if you want to grab one of her coaching packages, check out https://laterrawise.com/ to learn more. So that’s my little love letter to the Day Ones who have held me up, prayed me through, built beside me, and helped turn a wild God assignment into a full-blown movement. If you still need Christmas gifts… listen… support these folks. They have poured into me, into Mafia, and into our scholars with their whole hearts. The least I can do is shine a little light back on them and invite you to do the same. And thank you… truly… for indulging me this week. For letting me brag on the people who were the backbone of this work long before there were dorm rooms, care packages, or national fundraisers. It means more than you know. Now…shifting back to the babies... #AdoptAScholar Week kicks off December 14th! December looks a lot like summer for many of our scholars. Several are couch-surfing, navigating unstable housing, or headed home to environments that aren’t safe. Therefore, this month, just like Summer Survival Season, we will be providing ONLY Visa gift cards so they can buy what they need where they are… food, hygiene, warmth, transportation… survival. Each scholar gets $200 in gift cards. Read the stories. Share the link...MoveInDayMafia.org/AdoptAScholar And if you can… pick up even one $25 gift card and help us love these students well. Hug yourself for me!  Hey Mafia Miracle Makers, In last week's edition, I told you all about heading to London with my mom to officiate the wedding of Amber and Alex. Well...it's done and the verdict is in on how I did. But first, just in case you're new here. I'm TeeJ Mercer, Hollywood veteran and founder of the nonprofit Move-In Day Mafia. We provide decked out dorm rooms and monthly care packages for HBCU students who have aged out of foster care. Move-In Day Mafia started in miracles, but before there were scholars… before there were dorm rooms… before there were care packages… There was someone God placed in my life long before I even knew I’d need her. THE MIRACLE NAMED AMBER When God moved me from Los Angeles to Atlanta in 2020, before the world locked down, He didn’t tell me what I was moving to do. I just had to have faith. He didn’t tell me a single detail for two years. He just whispered, “Everybody you need is already in position; they are just waiting to be activated.” I had no clue who He meant. Fast forward to May 2022. I finally shared on Facebook that God had given me this wild assignment of creating Move-In Day Mafia. Within minutes, I got a text from Amber.  And just like that, God revealed one of the people He’d promised. From day one, Amber has been right beside me. Not behind me… beside me. Helping me build systems… policies… procedures… structures… all the things my right-brain creative heart never cared to do. Mafia would not be what it is today without her. Periodt. So when my phone buzzed one day and Amber said, “Hey… I need a favor,” it was an instant yes. No questions asked. But then she hit me with, “Hold on… You might need to pray about it.” Ma’am… why would you say that? Now my nerves are tap dancing. Because what kind of favor needs PRAYER? =>> A transplant? =>> An alibi? =>> Somebody need to disappear? =>> Do I need to bring bail money? Then she dropped the bomb: “Alex and I want you to officiate our wedding.” I’m sorry… Say what now? WHAT in dee entire hell?! Have you MET me? Where in my résumé does it say “l can marry humans”? What wedding have I EVER attended where someone walked out saying, “You know who should do THIS next time? TeeJ.” ME??? And that kicked off six months of me texting her like clockwork: “Hey sis… yall come to your senses yet?” And baby… let me tell you… First time officiating a wedding. In London.  And the reviews? Straight fire. “Best officiant ever.” “Absolutely brilliant.” “This couldn’t be your first time.” “I loved every minute.” And yes, I am absolutely about to pimp myself out to bring in money for Move-In Day Mafia. If you want your wedding blessed, laughed through, AND on schedule… call your girl. London Adventures: Two Dreams Unlocked Officiating a whole wedding in London was wild enough, but I had two missions while I was there. Non-negotiable missions. Mission One: 221B Baker Street. Yall… I cannot stress this enough. I have been OBSESSED with the Benedict Cumberbatch Sherlock Holmes series. The man got me in a chokehold with that coat flip and that fast-talking brilliance. So the SECOND my black cab turned the corner and I saw that iconic black door, I swear something in my spirit LEAPT. I squealed. Out loud. Like somebody was handing me front-row Prince tickets. It was surreal. The energy. The nostalgia.  Mission Two: See the horses from TikTok that bite people. The horses that guard the royals… the ones who warn hard-headed tourists who get too close with one side-eye before they snap like they’re saying, “Didn’t I tell you don’t touch me?” I just needed to see them in real life. Tall. Regal. Unbothered. Giving, “Try me if you want to… I bite.”  Checked the wedding and both missions off the list. My cup of joy was full with seeing the love of Amber and Alex Aziza Hewitt culminate in this moment.  GOOD NEWS  CHALLENGES  You know what London taught me, Miracle Maker?  Sometimes you say yes to something that makes ZERO sense, simply because someone you trust believes in you.
Amber believed I could officiate her wedding before I ever did. So I borrowed her faith until mine caught up. And here’s the thing… I knew she didn’t choose me to be some cookie-cutter, stand-there-and-whisper officiant. She chose ME. TeeJ. The woman who walks loud and laughs louder. So I showed up as myself. Not the “proper” officiant version. Not the “maybe-I-should-tone-it-down” version. ME. And baby… the moment she picked “Let’s Get It Started” as my entrance song? Game over. That was my confirmation that what was required… was authenticity. Here’s the encouragement for you: When a dream calls you higher, don’t shrink to fit the moment. Expand. Rise. Be fully you. Borrow someone else’s belief if you need to. Hold their faith until yours gets legs. But step. Move. Start. Because on the other side of your YES… is a version of you that you didn’t even know you could meet. And before I leave you this week… A little heart talk. Earlier this week, we kicked off our #KeepTeeJOffThePole campaign, and the love that started coming in reminded me of something I say all the time… Mafia moves differently. We don’t wait for the perfect moment or the perfect headline. We show up because that’s who we are. And we are marching boldly toward the goal that will change everything for our scholars… 1,000 monthly donors by Move-In Season 2026. Why does that number matter? Because when 1,000 people give every month… Students who grew up counting losses will finally get to count on something. Kids who’ve had more caseworkers than birthday candles will have a safety net they can actually feel. And Mafia will be able to say YES to scholars without hesitation. And here’s the part that matters most… It does not matter if someone gives $1 or $100. Family is family. Impact is impact. And when we all pull together according to our own budgets, our scholars get to breathe easier. So if this mission moves you… If these stories stir something in you… If you’ve ever whispered “somebody should help these babies”… I’m asking you to be that somebody today. 💛 Set up a monthly contribution at any level that fits your heart and your household 💛 Like, share, and comment on this newsletter so more people discover what Mafia is doing 💛 Invite one person to join us See you next week!  Hey Mafia Miracle Makers! I hope your Turkey Day was stuffed with joy, laughter, and a plate that needed two hands to carry. I have been doing a whole lot of reflecting this week because honestly… this year has felt like one giant trust fall into God’s arms. And I am grateful He keeps catching me. So, can I tell you the five things I am especially thankful for this year? But first...just in case you are new to the mission of Move-In Day Mafia... You should know, we are a "mob" of volunteers who move in and deck out door rooms of HBCU students who have aged out of foster care. Plus, we take care of them for four years with monthly care packages. You can check out our work at MoveInDayMafia.org Now...my gratitude list... 1) I am thankful that I GET to lead Move-In Day Mafia, even when I am afraid and feel unqualified Because the assignment is bigger than my comfort. And y'all remind me that obedience is where miracles hide. 2) I am thankful for every Mafia Miracle Maker who believes in the mission You show up like family. Not fans. FAMILY. The kind that rolls up sleeves and makes sure no scholar feels alone. 3) I am thankful for my team that covers me and is patient as I grow into leadership They watch me wobble sometimes… and still cheer like I stuck the landing. 4) I am thankful for our corporate partners who don't just invest in Mafia financially but also put boots on the ground They do not just sign checks. They show up in dorm rooms with drills, shelves, and work gloves. That is partnership. 5) I am thankful for our scholars Their perseverance. Their grit. Their dreams. They are why my feet hit the floor every morning, determined to keep going. They make it all worth it. London Calling Speaking of miracles… Before I was ever “Founder TeeJ,” I was just a woman with a wild idea from God and zero nonprofit experience. Amber has been the wind beneath my wings from the very beginning. She brought the corporate strategy, the structure, the language, the wisdom… all the things that helped Mafia go from “dream in my heart” to “miracles in motion.” So when she asked me to officiate her wedding… in London… I held the phone like, "What in dee entire hell? Do you know me? What in the world have I done that you would want ME to be your officiant? I don't know how she got her hubby-to-be, Alex, on board, but he is down for this crazy idea, too. Laaaaawed…they want me??? Everybody I've told...their first response...THEY BUST OUT LAUGHING...IN MY FACE! For six months, I have been texting Amber like, “Hey, just checking if y'all have come to your senses yet.” Apparently… they have not, cuz at the time of writing this, my mom and I are on this 8-hour flight to London Heathrow. So here we go. And no, I am not practicing with a British accent. But I might say “cheerio” if the anointing falls. 😜 A Walking Miracle Named Weez Mafia Miracle Maker, yesterday, I had literally just told my graphic artist, Lorraine, “I do not know what I am supposed to write for Friday,” when my phone rang. It was my friend, Weez of over 30 years from Howard. My ace. My day one. And a HUGE champion of not just Move-In Day Mafia, but of me...period.  Weez tells me she went to the doctor, and they thought she had kidney disease. But the Holy Spirit whispered to her, “No.” So she pushed for more testing. And because she pushed, they discovered a rare condition that I can't even pronounce...that only 1 percent of the population has. 1%! And! They told her they usually only find during autopsies! And yet...they found it because the Holy Spirit told her to insist on more testing! Thank you Jesus...My friend is going to be alright! Her anesthesiologist asked her “Who are you that God loves you this much for us to catch this in time?” My friend is a walking miracle, and I have another thing to be thankful for!  Watching miracle upon miracle unfold with our Mafia mission has taught me one key thing... Miracles follow motion. If I had waited until I felt qualified, Move-In Day Mafia would not exist, and 109 students at 28 HBCUs would not have received decked-out dorm rooms. Mafia Miracle Maker, yes, I still get scared. I still feel unprepared. I still question whether I am the one for this assignment. But I keep moving anyway. And when you move, God starts revealing resources you did not know existed. He starts sending people you did not even know to ask for. He starts turning whispers into wins and closed doors into VIP entrances. So, as we are officially into the holiday season, this message is not just about me. It is about you. If there is something God has been nudging you to do. Something you keep telling yourself you are not ready for. Something that feels bigger than your budget, your background, or your confidence. It's time. Start small. Start messy. Start scared. Just start. And watch God show out. Now… speaking of miracles showing up… Giving Tuesday is on the horizon, December 2nd, and we are kicking off a campaign that makes me cackle every time I say it out loud: #KeepTeeJOffThePole. Yes, that is the name, because if we do not lock in long-term, predictable funding, your girl might have to twirl for tuition and body roll for basic needs.😜 Our goal: 1000 monthly Mafia Miracle Makers by the 2026 move-in season, so we can plan for new scholars at more HBCUs. Whether you have $3 or $300 or $3000 to commit to as a monthly seed into the upcoming move-in season, could you please consider your budget? Every level of support says you believe miracles are still in motion for our scholars. Join the movement here: 👉 MoveInDayMafia.org/Donate and select the monthly option. When you back a divine assignment, God multiplies the miracle. Happy Thanksgiving weekend, Mafia Miracle Maker. I am truly thankful for you Hug yourself for me, and as always, like, comment, and share!  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 
 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.  Hey Mafia Miracle Makers, This week is a bit tough but because we are family, I tell you the good, bad, and the heartbreaking. So first, I’m gonna tell you about a miracle meetup that brought the biggest smile to my face on Wednesday. Oh… wait… if you are new here. I’m TeeJ, and this is a newsletter all about Move-In Day Mafia, a nonprofit I founded to provide decked-out dorm rooms for HBCU students who have aged out of foster care, are unhoused, or grapple with severe financial hardships. We have moved in 109 scholars at 28 HBCUs and currently are actively taking care of 60 students. Now… back to my meetup. As I told you in the last edition, I live in Atlanta now, but I went back home to Los Angeles to watch my friend and Mafia’s celebrity ambassador, Sherri Shepherd, get her star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. I ended up spending nearly a couple of weeks at home because I changed my flight. Changing my flight is a key detail for you to appreciate the setup. Another key deet you should know… Looooooong before Mafia’s hashtag, “IBelieveInMiraclesForMoveInDayMafia,” I walked in miracles and divine alignments. So much so that whenever I’m out alone, I always whisper a prayer for God to guide me to where to sit if I have a divine assignment. There I was. At the LA airport on my new travel day. I had gotten there super early because of the TSA shortage, only to be surprised by an easy-peasy 10-minute security clearance. With so much time on my hands, I wanted to post up somewhere I could people watch and work. So I whispered a prayer for God to show me where to sit. I found a comfortable spot near an escalator and started working. About 15 minutes later, I hear… “Auntie TeeJ???” I looked up... and there was one of our Mafia babies from Clark Atlanta coming straight toward me, looking radiant and stunning. And you wanna know what was wild? I had just hit “send” on an email to HER mentor asking for a pic of her because… SHE WAS HOMECOMING ROYALTY FOR CLARK ATLANTA LAST MONTH!!!! If you aren’t familiar with HBCU culture, know THAT IS A BIG FREAKING DEAL. And here she was… standing right in front of me...in Los Angeles!  I jumped up so fast… well, as fast as I could with my injured knee… and hugged her tight. Turns out she’d come home to the West Coast for her aunt. And I was able to get a pic from her directly.  Look at her. She’s radiant. To go from being emancipated from her parents… to living on her own her last two years of high school… to now being Homecoming Royalty… yeah… miracles. Miracles that your support helps make. Now… the Part That Broke Me This Week: Sweetpea Miracle Makers… here is where the week got heavy. Real heavy. The kind of heavy that you feel in your chest. A few weeks ago, I asked for help decorating one of our scholar’s bathrooms because her doctor required her to have her own private space. That scholar was Sweetpea. What I did not tell you then is the part that still hurts to type. Sweetpea’s trauma began before she even knew what the world was. Her mother, trapped in addiction, sold her as a little tot to men. A baby, y’all. A baby. She contracted HIV at 5 years old, and because her mother never told her, she did not learn about it until she was 16. She survived CPS. She survived homelessness. She survived watching her father be murdered right in front of her. That trauma pushed her to major in Criminal Justice because she wanted to solve the kind of cases that left her father forgotten and still unsolved. She is the same child who tracked down my personal cell number during move-in season and called me at midnight when she first heard about Mafia. Why? Because she had been dropped off at her HBCU in an Uber. No family. No support. No safety net. Just a dream. She fought to stay in class through seizures. She fought for normalcy. She fought for joy. She fought for life. And then last week… we got the call. Because it was untreated for so long, her HIV has progressed to full AIDS. Suddenly. Aggressively. Her twenty-year-old body cannot handle the fight alone anymore. She is being moved to hospice. At Twenty. And as if that was not enough, her mother, still deep in addiction, did some things so cruel and hurtful that they still make my stomach turn. Things I would never repeat out loud. We moved in a pregnant freshman last year. Her mother told her, “I hope you and your baby die.” Yes. Her own mother said that. I thought I had heard it all… until I heard Sweetpea's mother. Unbelievable. When my team and I learned of Sweetpea's new reality. We cried. We prayed. We sat in silence because sometimes there are no words. But here is what grabbed me by the heart… Sweetpea has never had a birthday cake. Not a single one. So we fixed that this week.  If breath is still in Sweetpea's body, she will taste joy. She will feel loved. She will know she mattered. This is why Move-In Day Mafia exists. Admittedly, when I started Move In Day Mafia, I had no clue this was where the road would lead. I thought I was signing up for dorm rooms, décor, and a few Amazon essentials. But God has shown me that “essentials” has a whole different meaning for the babies we serve. Essentials sometimes means safety. Sometimes means sanity. Sometimes means survival. And some days, like today... It means holding a story so heavy it makes your knees buckle. Because today, November 14th, kicks off our monthly #AdoptAScholar Week, we have made a special wishlist just for Sweetpea. She's asked for a wheelchair so she can be rolled out for fresh air and we are including $25 gift cards so she can choose whatever brings her a smile… pizza, DoorDash, a movie, treat, anything that softens the days ahead. So this month, if your heart is tugging for Sweetpea specifically, you can go to MoveInDayMafia.org/AdoptAScholar and click on "Sweetpea’s Special Care List." ADOPT A SCHOLAR WEEK STARTS TODAY Today kicks off November’s Adopt A Scholar Week, and I want to give you a heads-up because things will look a little different. Some of our scholars will have their usual Amazon wishlists. But several others will have gift card-only lists. Why? Because we are heading into the holidays, which means many of our babies will be couch surfing, bouncing between relatives, staying with mentors, or simply unsure where they will be. When a student does not have a stable address, gift cards are the safest and most reliable way to support them. Just like this past Summer Survival Season, Visa gift cards let them buy food, toiletries, transportation, or whatever else gives them relief during the instability of break. The heart is the same. The needs are real. And every single purchase matters. If you are joining us for November’s Adopt A Scholar Week, everything has to be purchased by the 21st. There is your starting point: 👉 MoveInDayMafia.org/AdoptAScholar Some weeks, family, the biggest miracle is that we’re still standing at all. I’m not gonna pretend I have a hype word or a clever nugget today. I don’t. This week has been heavy, and I’m letting it be heavy. Sometimes existing is the assignment. Sometimes the holiest thing you can do is breathe, feel what you feel, and not apologize for it. We live in a world that loves to rush past pain… wrap it up pretty… sprinkle a little glitter on it… and call it “resilience.” But real healing? Real strength? It means you go through the feelings, not around them. So if this week has knocked the wind out of you too, let this be your permission: Sit with it. Feel it. Honor it. Don’t numb it. Don’t sprint past it.  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 |
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
April 2026
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