On July 18, 2026, a 12-member volunteer team from the Church of Scientology Celebrity Centre International conducted a neighborhood cleanup in Hollywood, California, distributing copies of L. Ron Hubbard's booklet, The Way to Happiness. The effort aimed to foster community engagement and promote the booklet's moral guidelines.
The volunteers cleaned areas along Franklin Avenue and Hollywood Boulevard before switching to booklet distribution. They interacted with shopkeepers, tourists, and residents, sharing the booklet's principles. One recipient, a man selling bus tours on Hollywood Boulevard, recalled reading the booklet in prison, stating, 'Whenever I would read this book, it would just bring me calm. Sometimes you just gotta read, you know, and I remember this book. I liked it. Excellent.'
At a coffee shop, a staff member became so enthusiastic after receiving the booklet that she placed a stack on the counter for customers. Another encounter involved a passing SUV whose occupants rolled down their window to compliment the volunteers, who then gave them booklets. A local resident expressed appreciation for the cleanup effort and took a booklet.
Mike, a security guard on Hollywood Boulevard, took two booklets, while Glen from the Hollywood Partnership—an organization that cleans the streets daily—thanked the volunteers. Glen referenced the film 'Pay it Forward' and received a booklet inscribed with 'To' and 'From,' along with a second copy to pass along.
Nick Kurtz, the cleanup in-charge, distributed bundles of a dozen booklets. He approached people by asking, 'Hey, do you like to help people?' If they answered yes, he explained how the booklet encourages being a good citizen and neighbor. Kurtz reported that recipients, including a family from Riverside and a initially skeptical woman at a crosswalk, were happy to receive the booklets and participate in spreading the message.
For over eight years, the Church of Scientology Celebrity Centre International has donated The Way to Happiness booklets for local cleanups. The booklet, written by L. Ron Hubbard, states, 'Happiness lies in engaging in worthwhile activities' and 'That is my wish for you.' The initiative underscores the church's community outreach efforts, combining environmental action with the distribution of moral guidance materials. More information about the church's activities can be found at https://www.scientology.cc.
