Tomeka Mills Gets One Step Closer to Building the First Sanctuary for Young Women in Birmingham

By Jordyn Davis | For the Birmingham Times

Last year, Birmingham native Tomeka Mills had a calling that she simply could not ignore. Her late father, A.W. Brooks, a Pentecostal pastor in Ensley, gave her specific instructions before leaving this world: make sure you pour into our younger generation.

In 2025, Mills got to work. After building connections and an online presence, she founded the A.W. Brooks Serenity Home, a local nonprofit centered on providing a safe, nurturing home for teenage girls, aged 14-18, who have experienced abuse, neglect or housing instability. Now, Mills continues to secure grants and housing for girls interested in the program. Mills says she needs Birmingham’s help.

“Some of our girls, they’re dropping out of high school. They’re getting pregnant. They’re roaming the streets. They don’t have anywhere to go,” Mills told The Birmingham Times. “There are so many [girls] that are involved in human trafficking. I really need help. I’ve been doing this for a year. Now it’s time to secure the land. This is going to be a plus for Birmingham. I need for Birmingham to step up.”

After partnering with Alabama’s Department of Human Resources, Mills hopes to accept 10-12 girls who will be relocated to the home, where they will have a “house mom,” a staff of social workers, and an activity room. Mills also plans to include a quiet room where the girls can gather in a calm, safe space together. Mills believes too many talented young women have nowhere to go.

“I was so scared to jump out there with my idea because this is a huge project. When I started last year, I kept saying to myself and telling everybody that I ran into, ‘I’m going to be up and running with the home next year.’ This is way over my head and is way bigger than me,” Mills said.

A lifelong commitment

Mills says she knows how difficult life can be for a young, Black girl. After raising two daughters of her own, she has seen first-hand the effects of peer pressure and temptation. Mills’ father and her two sisters began sharing experiences and formed a ministry in his living room.

“My father’s ministry was all about helping people. We all had a very close relationship, and he was so passionate about his ministry and helping young ladies and men,” Mills said. “He died in 2000 and could not fulfill his dream, and so here I am, ready to carry this out for him.”

Mills, an Ensley native, currently juggles roles as a Supply Train Coordinator at Shelby Hospital, a realtor at Keller Williams, and now the leader of a nonprofit organization. She is attending the University of Alabama, where she is set to receive her bachelor’s in business next year. Mills hopes to finalize housing plans and focus on building the framework for her organization.

“There’s not just an influx of women from where I’m from in Ensley, but all over Birmingham. There are so many parents out there, trying to be their kids’ friends. You cannot be their friends. You have to parent them,” Mills said. “These girls are just running wild. It hurts my heart to see how many girls are just roaming the streets. If I can help at all, I’m going to help and I truly feel like I can.”

In 2022, 27% of adopted children were over the age of nine, according to the Congressional Coalition of Adoption Institute. Mills says this statistic is not just a number, but an issue with the foster care system, leaving many young girls and boys left bouncing from home to home. She says many couples would rather have a baby or a child younger than six, leaving young teenagers little chance of being placed in stable, loving homes.

“A.W. Brooks Serenity Home is something that is needed, especially in Birmingham. I can leave out of this door right now, and I promise you, if I drive down the street, I am going to see some teenage girl and she’s homeless. We, as a city, need to do this. We can start with the simple goal of securing the land. This home would be a place of healing, growth and a way for young girls to continue their education,” Mills said.

Mills currently has an active GoFundMe to help purchase much-needed supplies for the home she hopes to build from the ground up.

Stay up to date on Mills’s progress on the A.W. Brooks Serenity Home by visiting awbrooksserenityhomeinc.org.