The Miracle That Launched the Mafia

​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
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