A Program of La Mano Extendida

The Poppy Project is a street-level outreach initiative providing daily hot meals, essential supplies, and harm-reduction resources to individuals experiencing homelessness across Orange County.

We met Poppy at one of our community gatherings, La Mesa del Pueblo—a space built around shared meals, dignity, and human connection. In that space, we witnessed something rare, beautiful, and powerful: a woman already living out the very mission we stand for.

Poppy is currently facing a terminal illness.

But instead of letting that stop her, she has chosen to make her time meaningful—to pour into others with a kind of love, presence, and positive energy that is impossible to ignore.

She is, without a doubt, a beautiful soul.

Poppy has been showing up day after day, cooking two to three meals with her own hands and resources for 25–30 individuals living on the streets. She doesn’t just feed people—she knows them. She checks on them. She builds real relationships.

She brings food, medical supplies, Narcan, hygiene items, pet food—whatever is needed, however she can.

Her life, her time, and her energy are being poured into making sure people who are often overlooked are seen, cared for, and treated with dignity.

Meeting her wasn’t just inspiring—it was alignment.

La Mano Extendida recognized that this kind of work should never be carried alone.

The Poppy Project was created to stand beside her—

to support her, relieve the weight she has been carrying, and expand the care she has already built so that the individuals she has formed connections with continue to be fed, supported, and not forgotten.

Rooted in compassion and consistency, this program meets people where they are—physically and emotionally—while honoring the relationships, trust, and humanity that Poppy has already established.