SEATTLE — Dee Hampton, also known as "Mama Dee," is well known around Olympia for the weekly breakfast she makes for the homeless. Hampton's initial inspiration was her daughter, who struggled with homelessness and died in a car crash in 2005. Since 2012 Hampton has fed the homeless of Olympia to honor her daughter's memory Joyful Hand Ministries.
The day her daughter died, Hampton said she received a call from one of her daughter's friends who invited her to come meet with them. She did, and heard stories about her daughter and her friends.
"First I couldn't understand why she hung out on the street," Hampton said. "Well when I first started hearing stories about what my daughter was like...you always think you know your child but sometimes you may not."
Hampton said she learned that her daughter took care of people who were sick with the flu, found homes for kids on the street and protected teenagers from predators. She also learned about how other people became homeless and that's when she said she knew she had to do something.
She feeds a few hundred people Saturday mornings. She said that the number is increasing as the weather improves and the homeless population increases.
Joyful Hand Ministries is always accepting food, hygiene products and other donations at their weekly breakfasts, located across the street from Intercity Transit in the downtown area. People are also encouraged to help serve, and donate to their Paypal account joyfulhandsministries@gmail.com. For a full list of accepted items, visit their website.
Check out the recipe Hampton made today below!
Mama Dee’s Breakfast Burritos
Ingredients:
- 1lb of ground breakfast sausage I use the spicy kind
- 1/2 red, green, and yellow bell peppers chopped
- 1/2 sweet onion chopped
- 2 to 3 potatoes peeled and chopped
- 4 eggs scrambled
- 1 cup of shredded cheddar cheese
- 1/4 tsp of smoked paprika
- 1/4 tsp of fajita seasoning
- 1/4 tsp of garlic powder
- Oil 1-2 tbsp for frying
- Burrito size tortillas
- Biscuits and gravy (see recipes below)
- Salt and pepper
Directions:
- Fry sausage until done, drain and set aside
- Put oil in your pan start frying your potatoes, season with salt and pepper. Before you're done, add your peppers and onions. Cook until potatoes are tender, then add sausage back to pan. Season with rest of seasoning to taste. Adjust salt and pepper to taste. Add cheese on top and mix in until all melted throughout the mixture.
- Heat tortillas, add burrito mixture and a biscuit down the middle, topped off with gravy over the biscuit. Roll up the burrito then top off with a little more gravy and cheese.
Buttermilk Biscuit (makes 9 biscuits)
Ingredients:
- 2 1/4 cups of all purpose flour
- 1 tbsp baking powder
- 2 tsp sugar
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 stick of cold butter cut into small pieces
- 1 cup of cold buttermilk
Combine the first 6 ingredients in the food processor until flour resembles sand, then add buttermilk until combined. Be careful not to over mix it. Turn out onto a floured work surface, pat into a 6-inch square, and cut out biscuits. Place onto a buttered greased cooking sheet in a 450-degree oven for 12 minutes
Sausage Gravy
Ingredients:
- 1/2 lb ground sausage
- 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 cup of milk
- 1/4 cup butter
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 1/4 tsp onion powder
- 1/4 tsp smoked paprika
- Pinch of cayenne pepper
In a large skillet cook sausage over medium heat breaking up with a spoon (I use a potato masher) until browned. Drain, then add butter and flour to make a roux. Add sausage back, cook a little more, then add milk slowly while whisking constantly until thickened. Add seasoning.
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