Tameka Mullins

I became familiar with Gracias at one of the most difficult times of my life. It was toward the end of December in 2012 that I lost my apartment, a place I lived since I’d moved to New York from Michigan to attend college. That Harlem residence held a lot of memories and significance for me and having to say goodbye to it in the manner I did was not in my life’s plan for that year, but lack of work during that period and the lapse of unemployment benefits along with the depletion of my personal savings equaled disaster. After exhausting all of my options, I picked up the phone on the day of my eviction to call a friend who I thought might have information about some homeless shelters I might be able to go to as she worked as a nonprofit professional.

After connecting with my friend who turned out to be an angel, she told me to forget about the shelter and come stay with her and her family while I got myself together. This lovely being was Erika Gerena, the brainchild behind Gracias. We had met a few years prior when we both worked at the American Cancer Society. In the course of a day I went from being homeless to being supported and nurtured by a great friend who I now consider family. During the time I stayed with her, I learned more about Gracias, a nonprofit she created to change lives. I saw firsthand how it helped women across the country to give back to their communities.  

As the reality of losing my home set in, I was very depressed and filled with shame, but I didn’t have time to wallow. Being that it was around the holidays, Gracias activities were in full swing and I was happy to be able to lend a hand. Due to the hard work of Erika, her staffers and volunteers, donations of food, clothing, toys and other goods came pouring in and it was our job to get them to community members who needed them. I can’t begin to explain how powerful it was to be able to give back during a time when I felt so low. It made me focus on my blessings and remember to be grateful for the good friends and resources in my life.

Since that time I have seen my share of successes and challenges and it is in partly due to my work with Gracias that I am able to actively recognize, give and receive the power of grace.

Tameka Mullins is an emerging author and Digital Marketer. She can be reached on Twitter @tamstarz and on her websites: www.tamekamullins.com & http://social.tamekamullins.com