Another 33 people died “without fixed abode” in OC in March, 2024. Their names are
Sandra FLORES who died on March 1st in Santa Ana
Nicolle MCCORMICK who died on March 1st in Fountain Valley
Starlight ELLIOTT who died on March 2nd in Costa Mesa
Moises OCAMPO who died on March 3rd in San Juan Capistrano
Gilbert TREVENA who died on March 4th in Garden Grove
Camilo LOPEZ who died on March 4th in Garden Grove
Sharen SCOTT who died on March 4th in Santa Ana
Alan YOUNG who died on March 5th in Santa Ana
Alejandro CAMPOS RIOS who died on March 6th in Orange
Edgar ROMO-HERMOSILLO who died on March 6th in Lake Forest
Jorge VEGA who died on March 8th in Buena Park
Michael DESPER who died on March 8th in Orange
Hector ORTIZ who died on March 10th in Santa Ana
Ronald GALLEGO who died on March 10th in Fountain Valley
Marcos ARAIZA who died on March 10th in Stanton
Brittany LAWRENCE who died on March 11th in Orange
Geovanny ESCOBAR who died on March 11th in Santa Ana
Jason ATHANS who died on March 11th in Stanton
Courtney DITZLER who died on March 12th in La Palma
Breeann MAHONEY who died on March 16th in Anaheim
Joaquin BAHENA who died on March 16th in Laguna Hills
Gaylene HARRINGTON who died on March 19th in Westminster
Adam RICKETTS who died on March 19th in Tustin
Joshua ALFREJD who died on March 19th in Garden Grove
Omar OROZCO-MORALES who died on March 19th in Santa Ana
Jared EDMOND who died on March 21st in Santa Ana
Mabel CUMMINGS who died on March 21st in Laguna Beach
James BUCHANAN who died on March 22nd in Orange
Jeffrey BIEBER who died on March 22nd in Costa Mesa
Miguel LUNA who died on March 22nd in Fullerton
Edith ZURITA who died on March 24th in Tustin
Hieu TRAN who died on March 26th in Westminster
Samantha MAERTZ who died on March 26th in Anaheim
Celso MORALES DELGADO who died on March 27th in Mission Viejo
Demarrie BARNES who died on March 28th in Fullerton
John BOOTH who died on March 29th in Santa Ana
Michael PAIDA who died on March 29th in Santa Ana
Joshua-Michael WARING who died on March 31st in Garden Grove
Additionally we remember
Peter SCHEERLINCK who died on January 14th in Los Alamitos
notice of whose death only became available this past month.
A total of 120 people died “without fixed abode” in OC during the first quarter, January – March, of this year. This is significantly, 20%, lower than the number of deaths last year, 2023, when the number was 150 for the same period of time, though almost exactly the same as the year before that, 2022, when the number for the first quarter of the year was 123 and at that time, that was a record total.
Anecdotally, I’m told that the 211 system is becoming more responsive at “off hours,” that is outside of the 9-5 (really 9-3:30) regular business hours. Yet simply responding to calls for assistance is really not enough. People asking for assistance need to be actually assisted rather than simply responded to only to be told that for any number of often solemn-sounding reasons they do not qualify to be helped – and therefore must be consigned to the streets to the continued detriment of everyone.
The subject of homelessness was taken up by the U.S. Supreme Court this week, with a decision expected by the end of its current year term at the end of June.
Yet the key for us is to recognize that the only thing that ends homelessness is placing people experiencing homelessness in homes. Other wise we continue to shuffle who find themselves homeless about, without solution.
Let’s stop shuffling.
Fr. Dennis Kriz, OSM, Pastor St. Philip Benizi Catholic Church, Fullerton.
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