Mabel Lamb
Teonna Cooksey
Mabel Lamb is a proud alumnus of Milwaukee Public Schools. She describes herself as a Milwaukee native who lives, works and plays in the Sherman Park Neighborhood. Ms. Lamb obtained a Bachelor of Arts degree in Communications from the University of Wisconsin at Milwaukee. On April 30th, 2018, Mabel Lamb became the Executive Director of the Sherman Park Community Association (SPCA). In that role, Ms. Lamb gets to talk to residents of Sherman Park about their dreams, aspirations, and goals for this neighborhood. Ms. Lamb grew up in the Rufus King neighborhood. Her first eighteen years were spent in the home that her parents owned. It has been fifty-six years since they made that purchase. As a result, she grew up seeing the results of that investment, and it seemed natural for her to aspire to be a homeowner. As she grew older, she decided to move out of her parents’ home. She lived in rental units when she lived in Minneapolis and Detroit. When Ms. Lamb moved back to Milwaukee she wanted to purchase her own home. She appreciated the many old historic homes in the Sherman Park neighborhood. In 2000, she purchased her first home in this area. This property provided additional income for her and her child. That building was constructed in 1954. Ms. Lamb lived in her first home in Sherman Park for fifteen years before she moved. She now rents that property. She raised her son in that house. They are still connected to that part of the neighborhood. She keeps in touch with her old neighbors and her son remains friends with the neighbor boy who he grew up with. Today, she lives in a duplex home that she and her son purchased in 2018. Built in 1923, this house is larger than her previous property and has exquisite wood work and detailing. When Ms. Lamb moved into her current home, she felt connected with her new neighbors too. She explained that relationships run deep because people have known each other for decades. They speak to each other often—especially about things going on in the neighborhood. Her personal actions, professional vision, and goals coalesce around her enduring love for this neighborhood. Mabel Lamb cares: She takes pride in tending flowering plants and making her house beautiful so that it stands out in the block. When she wakes up, she stands on her front porch to visualize an exciting future for her neighborhood. She walks down to Washington Park on Wednesdays to participate in public events. She frequents local businesses such as Sherman Perks Coffee Shop, Great Impressions, a graphic design and digital printing business, or the nearby Reynold's Pasty Shop. Her workplace is four minutes away from her home. When she talks to someone who has been in the neighborhood for longer than twenty years, especially if they’re aging, they often talk about safety. As a result, Ms. Lamb strives to encourage local resources such as the neighborhood patrol. She spoke to us about neighborhood block clubs that are assets because they provide information like crime statistics and trends to the neighborhood residents so that they may stay knowledgeable. The Sherman Park Community Association (SPCA) has resources for residents who may be dealing with difficult neighbors or those who need help with other difficult issues. For instance, SPCA works with the Department of Neighborhood Services and the Milwaukee Police Department to resolve issues. The association also conducts housing surveys for the neighborhood and provides information and resources for homeowners, landlords and tenants. She has suggested additional seminars and workshops around home-buying, ways to maintain a good credit score and strategies to earn cash-money. She believes that homeowners need to be aware of the myriad resources available to them. Ms. Lamb would love to work with the city and banks to implement some home ownership programs to teach people how to buy a home. She is a firm believer of people verbalizing, visualizing, and then realizing what they want. |
House History
Sense of Hope
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