HomeCommunitiesUnited StatesMackey's Korner
At the heart of Mackey’s Korner is Founder and Executive Director Lynette Mackey, a lifelong San Franciscan whose leadership is shaped by deep personal loss and unwavering compassion. In 2021, Lynette lost her 12-year-old grandson, Jamahl Mackey Jr., to suicide—an unimaginable tragedy that transformed her grief into a powerful call to action. Rather than retreat, she rose, founding Mackey’s Korner to prevent similar loss in other families and to create a healing-centered space rooted in cultural affirmation, empathy, and connection. Her lived experience gives her rare insight into the failures of the mental health system and the cultural disconnects that leave many BIPOC families unsupported and unseen.Lynette has emerged as a trusted advocate, crisis responder, and community leader. She has answered countless late-night crisis calls and built trusted relationships with schools, churches, and health providers. Her trauma-informed and culturally grounded approach is supported by formal training—she is completing certification with the San Francisco Suicide Prevention 988 Lifeline to expand her clinical crisis response skills. As a certified Resource Family Approval (RFA) worker since 2017, Lynette has also provided care for over ten foster youth, further deepening her commitment to healing systemic harm. Through both professional rigor and grassroots leadership, she is expanding Mackey’s Korner’s capacity to offer direct crisis intervention, peer mentorship, and culturally responsive care.Lynette’s leadership has been honored by city officials, community organizations, and even the Golden State Warriors, yet she remains deeply grounded in service. Whether supporting families displaced by redevelopment, mentoring youth navigating trauma, or organizing wellness events in Bayview and the Fillmore, she leads with purpose and humility. As Executive Director, she oversees all facets of the organization, embodying a philosophy that every life is valuable and worthy of care. Her story is one of profound resilience—turning loss into legacy, and creating a movement that uplifts, heals, and ensures that every story has a chance to continue.