Defiant against the racial discrimination blacks faced within the Sacramento public housing system regarding multigenerational living, as many other ethnicities were allowed to participate in, Mamie, affectionately known as "mama" to many within the Oak Park community and her mother Katie Mae Veal housed and fed many within the community from her government subsidized 4th Avenue apartment. Elderly, disabled, and living off a fix social security income, Mamie put her own wellbeing on the line to rehab and nurse back to health those within the Oak Park community that had fallen victim to the 80's crack epidemic that ravage the once thriving South Sacramento neighborhood. Not only did she nurse and counsel many back to health, but she also housed, fed and cared for the children of those adults struggling with homelessness and addiction.
It was well known within the community, that Mamie and Katie Mae resided in since the 60's, where rehab facilities and opportunities were too far and few in between, that "mamas house" was a safe haven for those with no alternatives to get housing, food assistance, or getting clean. No matter what time of day or night, Mamie's doors were always open to those who were in need. She often told, and modeled to her grandchildren through her actions, that it didn't take much to make a difference in a life that was in need. That everyone, no matter the circumstances, can make a difference within their community.
