Skip to main content
Four people in matching shirts smiling together at a Mahari In Motion gathering
Compassion in Action, Communities in Partnership.

Building Stronger Communities Through Compassion, Opportunity, and Partnership

Mahari In Motion empowers veterans, service members, and their families with compassionate, accessible support — providing access to nutritious food and essential resources and connecting families to safe housing, meaningful employment, mental health and wellness services, peer support, and community resources.

Request Support Youth ProgramsBecome a PartnerDonate
Food & Essential ResourcesHousing ConnectionsEmployment ResourcesMental Health & WellnessPeer SupportCommunity Resource Navigation
A group gathered together smiling at a Mahari In Motion event

About Mahari In Motion — Compassion in Action, Communities in Partnership.

No veteran, service member, or family member should face hardship alone.

Mahari In Motion is a community-based nonprofit serving veterans, service members, and their families through compassion, collaboration, and advocacy.

Mission

Our mission is to empower veterans, service members, and their families by providing compassionate, accessible support that promotes stability, healing, and long-term success.

We meet immediate needs with dignity by providing access to nutritious food and essential resources while connecting individuals and families to safe housing, meaningful employment, mental health and wellness services, peer support, and community resources.

Through compassion, collaboration, and advocacy, we strive to ensure that no veteran, service member, or family member has to face hardship alone.

Vision

Our vision is to build a stronger, healthier, and more resilient community where every veteran, service member, and their family has access to the nutritious food, safe housing, meaningful employment opportunities, healthcare, mental health and wellness services, peer support, and community resources they need to thrive.

We envision a future where individuals and families are supported with dignity, immediate needs are met with compassion, and every person has the opportunity to move:

From Crisis to Stability.
From Hardship to Healing.
From Survival to Long-Term Success.

Our Core Values

  • Compassion
  • Collaboration
  • Service
  • Dignity & Respect
  • Empowerment
  • Equity & Accessibility
  • Community
  • Advocacy
  • Hope & Healing
  • Accountability
Two people embracing in a family photograph

Our Why

The Story Behind Our Name

Every meaningful movement begins with a story.

Mahari In Motion was born from a family's commitment to serving others and strengthened through a deeply personal journey of love, loss, hope, and purpose.

While our mother's passion for helping the community laid the foundation for this organization, the loss of Regi became the moment that put Mahari In Motion in motion.

Mahari is Regi's middle name. The name Mahari means "forgiver."

For us, forgiveness represents healing, grace, unity, and the willingness to come together for the good of our communities. We believe lasting change happens when people choose compassion over division, hope over hardship, and partnership over isolation.

Today, Mahari In Motion honors that legacy by serving veterans, service members, and their families through resource navigation, access to essential resources, community partnerships, and advocacy.

  • Every family we support…
  • Every person we encourage…
  • Every partnership we build…
  • is a continuation of that legacy.
"The name Mahari means 'forgiver.' We believe forgiveness allows communities to heal, people to grow, and neighbors to work together toward a brighter future."
A graduation photograph shared in loving memory
In Loving Memory

In Loving Memory of Regi

Regi's life continues to inspire the work of Mahari In Motion every day.

His legacy reminds us that compassion has the power to transform lives, strengthen communities, and create hope for future generations.

The work we do today is carried forward in his honor and in service to everyone we have the privilege of helping.

Our Journey

Moments that carry the mission forward.

A Living Legacy

Our Journey Continues

  1. 01

    Rooted in Family

    Community-service roots that began at home.

  2. 02

    Honoring Regi

    A loss that helped put Mahari In Motion in motion.

  3. 03

    Choosing Forgiveness

    Working together for the good of the community.

  4. 04

    Serving Families

    Meeting immediate needs with dignity and care.

  5. 05

    Growing Partnerships

    Collaborating with partners to expand access to resources.

  6. 06

    Moving Forward

    From crisis to stability, hardship to healing.

  7. The mission continues

Every act of kindness…

Every helping hand…

Every young life encouraged…

Moves our community forward.

Join the Movement

Compassion in Action, Communities in Partnership.

Leadership

Meet Our Founder

Compassion in Action, Communities in Partnership.

NeKesha Smith, Founder of Mahari In Motion
Founder

NeKesha Smith

NeKesha Smith is a devoted mother of three and the proud mother of one angel baby. Guided by her unwavering belief in Faith Over Fear, she leads with compassion, resilience, and a servant's heart.

Her passion for helping others has inspired a lifelong commitment to connecting individuals, families, and youth with the resources and opportunities they need to overcome barriers and build brighter futures.

For NeKesha, Mahari In Motion is more than an organization—it's a calling to serve with purpose, uplift others with compassion, and strengthen communities through meaningful action.

"Faith Over Fear."

Programs & Services

Compassionate support for veterans, service members, and families.

Mahari In Motion is not a licensed medical, mental health, or housing provider. We provide access to essential resources and connect families to trusted community partners.

Food & Essential Resources

Provides access to nutritious food and essential resources to meet immediate needs with dignity.

Safe Housing Connections

Helps families navigate housing resources and connects them with housing partners.

Employment Resources

Connects individuals with job resources and meaningful employment opportunities.

Mental Health & Wellness Resources

Connects individuals and families with mental health and wellness services through community partners.

Healthcare Connections

Helps families find and connect with healthcare resources in the community.

Peer Support

Encouragement and connection so no one has to face hardship alone.

Community Resource Navigation

Offers resource navigation to help families find the right support.

Advocacy & Community Partnerships

Advocating for veterans, service members, and families, and collaborating with partners to expand access.

Youth smiling and celebrating together at a Mahari In Motion program event
Signature initiative

Youth In Motion

Supporting youth ages 13–21 through wellness, opportunity, leadership, and entrepreneurship.

Youth In Motion is an organizational initiative of Mahari In Motion that supports the young people in the families and communities we serve. Eligibility details are being finalized — please reach out to learn more.

Young people deserve access to supportive adults, positive opportunities, practical skills, and resources that prepare them for successful futures.

Mahari In Motion helps youth develop confidence, leadership, resilience, healthy lifestyles, career readiness, and entrepreneurial thinking while strengthening connections with families and the community.

Compassion in Action, Communities in Partnership.

Health & Wellness

Healthy habits, movement, nutrition, and self-care that build lifelong wellbeing.

Learn more

Mental Health Support

Peer connection and connections to trusted mental health resources.

Learn more

TBI Resource Navigation

Help navigating traumatic brain injury (TBI) resources for youth and their families.

Learn more

Job Readiness & Career Development

Resume writing, interview prep, professional communication, financial literacy, career exploration, and connections with workforce partners.

Learn more

Youth Entrepreneurship Academy

An educational journey through creativity, branding, marketing, budgeting, and public speaking — building confidence and leadership skills.

Learn more

Mentorship & Leadership Development

Guidance from caring adults and hands-on leadership experiences that shape futures.

Learn more
Youth Entrepreneurship Academy

Building confidence, creativity, and leadership through entrepreneurship education.

We believe entrepreneurship can help young people build confidence, creativity, responsibility, and leadership. Our program is an educational and developmental opportunity — not a promise of business success or financial outcomes.

  • Finding your talents
  • Creating business ideas
  • Branding
  • Marketing basics
  • Pricing
  • Budgeting
  • Customer service
  • Selling products
  • Community business showcases
  • Youth vendor events
  • Leadership
  • Public speaking
  • Innovation
  • Problem solving
Learn About Entrepreneurship
Prepared meal plates ready to be served
Planned Initiative

Summer Feed Program

Mahari In Motion is preparing to expand its community outreach through a planned Summer Feed Program designed to support children and families during the summer months.

The program is intended to provide access to nutritious meals while connecting families with additional community resources. Dates will be announced.

Support This ProgramPartner With Us

Community Impact

Measured in trust, not just numbers.

Every person we serve deserves to be met with dignity and a steadier tomorrow.

Crisis to Stability
Meeting immediate needs with dignity.
Hardship to Healing
Connecting families to wellness and peer support.
Survival to Success
Connecting to housing and meaningful employment.
Never Alone
Compassion, collaboration, and advocacy.

Our Community Impact Journey

A roadmap from first hello to lasting stability.

  1. 01

    Community Outreach

    Listening and building trust with veterans, service members, and families.

  2. 02

    Immediate Needs

    Access to nutritious food and essential resources, with dignity.

  3. 03

    Resource Navigation

    Helping families find the right community resources.

  4. 04

    Housing & Employment

    Connections to safe housing and meaningful employment.

  5. 05

    Wellness & Peer Support

    Connections to mental health, wellness, and peer support.

  6. 06

    Family & Youth Initiatives

    Initiatives that support the whole family.

  7. 07

    Long-Term Success

    From crisis to stability, hardship to healing.

Partner With Us

Change is a team effort.

Compassion in Action, Communities in Partnership. We welcome mission-aligned organizations interested in expanding support for veterans, service members, and their families.

Illustration of a community wellness gathering in a park

  • Veteran & Military Organizations

    Collaborate to connect veterans, service members, and families with support.

  • Healthcare Organizations

    Help families connect with healthcare and wellness resources.

  • Government Agencies

    Coordinate so families can reach the resources available to them.

  • Businesses & Employers

    Sponsor initiatives or open doors to meaningful employment.

  • Faith Communities

    Extend your ministry through coordinated community care.

  • Community Organizations

    Partner with us to reach the people closest to you.

  • Schools & Youth Organizations

    Support youth and family initiatives.

  • Corporate Sponsors

    Underwrite food, housing, employment, and wellness initiatives.

  • Volunteers & Mentors

    Give your time, skills, and encouragement.

Get Involved

Two ways to move with us today.

Whether you need support or want to offer it, we'd love to connect.

Volunteer with us

Share your time and skills with veterans, service members, and families.

Request support

Tell us a little about what you need. Please don't include medical details, financial account numbers, or Social Security numbers.