LONG BEACH, Calif. — The 2023 Greater Los Angeles Homeless Count showed an increase in numbers for both Los Angeles County and the city of Los Angeles. But in Long Beach, an innovative program is using coffee to try to empower those experiencing homelessness with work experience.

Wrigley Coffee runs a barista program. Its main purpose is to give job training and a source of income to people experiencing homelessness. For half a year, Maribel Reyes was homeless with her young family, and said that was the scariest period of her life.

“I was living in South Central,” she said. “I was staying with family members, in their house or on their couch, sometimes in the car.”

But today, Reyes’ life looks completely different, and that’s all thanks to coffee.

Reyes is a recent graduate of the barista program, through the organization Family Promise. She works the register, takes orders and makes a great Spanish latte. Most importantly, the job has given her a sense of belonging and purpose.

“I never want to leave this job. I never want to get fired, I want to stay here,” Reyes said.

The 2023 Greater Los Angeles Homeless Count estimated over 75,000 people are experiencing homelessness on any given night in LA County.

Executive director of Wrigley Coffee, Andrew Nishimoto, said the program is about giving people the dignity of work.

“To find that self confidence in themselves, so that when they do go to their permanent job placement, they feel confident in what they bring to the world around them, to their community,” he said.

Riley Draghi is the general manager of the coffee shop and said over 70% of the graduates have entered the permanent workforce.

“We have two pervious graduates who still work for us and are thriving in their jobs, and a handful of others who are now in other manager roles,” Draghi said.  

Of those past and current participants in the Wrigley Coffee barista program, 100% are people of color, and 80% are women.