About Us
My name is Rhonda Manning, and I’m the owner and chef at LillieMae’s House of Soul Food in Santa Clara, California. These days, we’re best known for our food truck and catering services. We’re a Bay Area, Black-owned family business originating over 25 years ago. It started with humble beginnings; just my husband, Danny, and I barbecuing in our backyard, taking our food to local barbershops, hair salons, and festivals before finally being able to rent a commercial catering kitchen and begin realizing our dreams. Then, in 2001, just four days after I graduated from my culinary hospitality program, we opened our first brick-and-mortar restaurant, which we named LillieMae’s, after my
beloved grandmother, a known chef in her home state of Oklahoma.
Legacy has played a key role in my family. So has the idea of generational success. As a wife and mom of three plus 1, I care deeply about creating a future and legacy for my children, all while honoring the legacy of my talented grandmother. For me, the best part of being a small business owner has been the ability to work alongside my family and close friends, who always have supported me in my career. In particular, my 17-year-old only son, Major, loved working on the food truck, and it was a joy and “proud mama” moment for me to see him interact with customers and be a part of the legacy that we’ve fought so hard to build with LillieMae’s. I cherish those moments with Major, and it breaks my heart to share that they ended far too soon.
At the young age of 17, our son Major Manning, died tragically on October 3, 2023 from a Fentanyl overdose. An overnight stay at a friend’s home resulted in his untimely death when he and his friend decided to experiment with what they believed was a prescription Percocet pill, unaware it was laced with a deadly dose of Fentanyl. That singular decision — born out of teenage curiosity — wound up taking our son’s life.
Fentanyl is stealing the lives of our nation's young people. It’s become an epidemic right here in the Bay Area, and is now the number-one killer among 14 to 24 year olds. As broken hearted and devastated parents, Danny and I refuse to sit idly by and watch other young adults and their loved ones experience a similar fate; we’re determined to turn our pain into purpose and this tragedy into triumph as we help educate teens and their families about the dangers of Fentanyl so that no one else has to suffer the pain and loss that we’re currently experiencing. We’ve established this non-profit called A Major Movement to honor our son by Fighting Fentanyl in a Major Way.
Major's life mattered. ALL lives matter. Together, we can make a difference and Fight Fentanyl in a Major Way!
Sincerely,
Danny and Rhonda Manning
(Major’s Parents Forever)
Mission
Our mission of A Major Movement is to end the epidemic of fentanyl related deaths and educate young adults about the dangers of fentanyl In A Major Way!. To create healthier communities by raising awareness and offering medical intervention with Narcan kits and fentanyl test strips.
Vision
To support and contribute to solving the fentanyl and opioid crisis and to prevent fatal overdoses In a Major way!
