How this Howard U alumnus’ nonprofit is making the transition to college smoother for students in need

WTOP/John Domen

WTOP/John Domen

WTOP/John Domen

WTOP/John Domen

It’s that time of year when kids are heading off to college and in most cases, these new students have a parent who helps them move in, makes sure they have everything they need in their dorm room, and then sends them a few other items to help them get through the school year.

But what if you grew up in foster care? Those little things that every student needs are probably not as accessible.

A national nonprofit organization co-founded by a Howard University graduate aims to change that.

The Move-In Day Mafia was on campus at Howard University on Friday to help two students move into their dorms with everything from bedding to toiletries. It’s the third school year that volunteers, now numbering more than 400, have helped children who have outgrown the foster system get into their dorms.

“On one side of the room you have a family full of people who are coddling the students and making sure they have everything they need. And what I’ve learned in many cases is that on the other side of the room are students who barely showed up,” said TeeJ Mercer, who calls himself the “Godfather of the Move-In Day Mafia.”

“They might have a gym bag. They might have a trash bag with all of their stuff in it, and I knew I wanted to do something about it,” she added.

The students they serve all attend HBCUs across the country, including locally at Howard and Morgan State University.

“We bring them in, and not just bring them in, but we walk with them for four years by providing them with their monthly supplies,” Mercer said. “The mission is for them to be able to go to school, to be normal students without the stress of laundry detergent, toothpaste, without the stress of deodorant, just normal things that we take for granted. It causes a lot of stress for these students.”

This year, Mercer’s group is helping approximately 40 different students attending 19 different historically black colleges.

She helped Howard University sophomore Alexis Rodriguez, a San Francisco native, move into her dorm room on Friday. This is her first year getting a boost from MIDM.

Rodriguez said she had never had her own permanent bed before. That changed Friday.

Last year, I was all alone. I asked for support from my extended community to help me buy things from my Amazon wish list, Rodriguez said. “It took a really long time and I wasn’t even fully settled into my dorm room (until February) because I couldn’t afford to buy my basic necessities.”

Rodriguez, who studied both political science and African studies and dreams of studying law, said she was given an extensive questionnaire beforehand, while the MIDM surveyed almost everything, down to her favorite personal care and hygiene products.

“People in my demographic, we really have to make do with what’s given to us right in front of us, what’s given to us for free or what’s the cheapest option that we can afford,” Rodriguez said. “So if we can prepare these things for us and they actually give us options and care about our preferences, in a world that I grew up in, you should be grateful for whatever you get. It’s extraordinary.”

Mercer says she finds it surprising that children are reluctant to participate in the program because they fear they are taking on the care of someone else who may need it even more.

“They are so generous that they always put someone else before themselves,” Mercer said.

Rodriguez said that was why she almost didn’t apply and that her foster mother had to convince her to do it anyway.

“My first thought was, ‘This isn’t for me. I’m not the target audience this time,'” Rodriguez said. “So I was really pushed by my mom to apply, and I’m so grateful for that.”

She said that over the years she has often slept on other people’s couches and even in cars, and she is grateful that a program like this exists.

Mercer said each dorm they help students move into is designed specifically for that specific student.

Toiletries, bedding and other items including feminine hygiene products are provided. Also, care packages are sent to each student each month so they can replenish their supplies of detergent, deodorant and even chocolate bars.

MIDM also wants to grow and hopes for more support to help more students who are too old to participate in the foster program.

“We’re really trying to get 1,000 donors to commit to at least $20 a month for the rest of 2024,” Mercer said. “That’s two Starbucks. That’s your two Starbucks for the month to make sure that a student can get the things they need for college so they don’t have that stress. College is stressful in general, but they don’t have to have that kind of stress.”

While Rodriguez spoke to WTOP, she was also waiting for her room to be renovated.

“I’ve never felt so represented,” Rodriguez said. “I’ve struggled so hard to embrace my identity as a foster kid here at HBCUs, where a lot of people come from legacies and generations of graduates. It’s really a confidence booster for me, it reminds me why I’m here. So I’m just eternally grateful.”

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