Tue. Sep 30th, 2025

Every Wednesday in the city of Santa Ana, Project Coffee Cup hosts an outreach where they provide warm meals, coffee, clothing, and conversation to their unhoused neighbors.

Sadly, the Project Coffee Cup storage trailer was broken into, and nearly all of their outreach equipment was stolen, including:

  • Tables
  • Lights
  • Grill
  • Canopy
  • And other essential supplies we rely on every week

This theft has made it extremely difficult for them to continue their weekly outreach. As a nonprofit, they operate solely on donations, and the loss of this equipment has been devastating.

They are asking for support to help them to raise $10,000 to replace the stolen items, cover the monthly expense of a secure storage facility and to continue showing up for those who need us most. You may donate to them via their GoFundMe page.

Your donation will help them to:

  • Rebuild their mobile outreach setup
  • Continue serving hot meals and coffee every Wednesday in Santa Ana
  • Create safe, welcoming spaces for those experiencing homelessness

A report from the San Diego County District Attorney’s Office found that homeless individuals were significantly more likely to be involved in criminal activity compared to the general population. Specifically:

  • Homeless individuals were up to 514 times more likely to commit crimes, including property crimes.
  • 98% of homeless individuals cited for a crime had two or more new cases filed against them.

The County of Orange conducts an annual homeless count but they have not worked on collecting data about crime committed by transients.

According to the most comprehensive and recent studies, 65% of homeless individuals in California reported having used illicit drugs regularly at some point in their lives and 37% of California’s homeless population reported regular illicit drug use (defined as at least three times per week) in the prior six months.

Drug addiction is strongly associated with a higher likelihood of committing property crimes in the U.S. According to the Bureau of Justice Statistics, 17% of state prisoners and 18% of federal inmates reported committing their current offense to obtain money for drugs. About 85% of the U.S. prison population either has a substance use disorder or committed their offense under the influence of drugs or alcohol. Drug-involved offenders have high recidivism rates, with 77% rearrested within five years of release.

By Art Pedroza

Our Editor, Art Pedroza, worked at the O.C. Register and the OC Weekly and studied journalism at CSUF and UCI. He has lived in Santa Ana for over 30 years and has served on several city and county commissions. When he is not writing or editing Pedroza specializes in risk control and occupational safety. He also teaches part time at Cerritos College and CSUF. Pedroza has an MBA from Keller University.

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