Bridge Publications Reaches Out to Reduce Crime and Increase Happiness

Commerce,California-based publishing house rallies volunteers from across Los Angeles to hand out copies of The Way to Happiness one-on-one to make East Los Angeles safer for all.

Over the past year, East L.A. has seen a steady increase in crime, from petty theft to burglary and assault. Bridge Publications, the Commerce-based all-digital in-house printing facility for the nonfiction works of Scientology Founder L. Ron Hubbard, decided to take action with an initiative known to reduce crime. 

The Way to Happiness is a common-sense moral code written by Mr. Hubbard that resonates with people of all faiths and none. Published in 114 languages, over 100 million copies have been distributed in 117 countries, increasing self-respect and bringing calm to communities torn by violence and crime.

Bridge Publications partnered with volunteers from across Greater Los Angeles to distribute copies of The Way to Happiness in English and Spanish throughout Commerce and East Los Angeles. The volunteers met at Bridge Publications and handed out booklets along busy streets, in shopping centers, at food trucks, and wherever people gathered.

“We want our community to be safe and its residents to be happy and we are proud to be able to contribute with a book printed on our own presses,” said Camila Gonzalez, Public Relations Director at Bridge Publications.

Volunteers handing out The Way to Happiness found people very receptive. Many started reading the booklet right away. At least one family, handed a booklet through the window of their car, drove back to ask the volunteers for copies they could pass on to their friends.

Bridge chose International Day of Happiness, March 20, for this initiative. Volunteers handed out a thousand copies of the booklet, with the East L.A. Sheriff’s Department supporting the activity, cruising alongside to ensure their safety as they canvassed the area. 

Located at 5600 E. Olympic Boulevard in Commerce, Bridge Publications is the world’s largest all-digital, print-on-demand facility. Under the direction of Mr. David Miscavige, ecclesiastical leader of the Scientology religion, the publishing house was put in place in early 2007 to fulfill the global demand for Mr. Hubbard’s written and recorded materials. Bridge Publications is featured in an episode of Inside Scientology, an original series on the Scientology Network. 

The network also spotlights the accomplishments of men and women who have used The Way to Happiness to reduce violence and crime. Among them are those who brokered peace between warring gangs in South Central Los Angeles, reduced crime in inner-city Denver neighborhoods, and awakened hardened Colombian soldiers—once notorious for their extrajudicial killing of innocent civilians—to their responsibility for preserving the lives and welfare of their fellow citizens.

For more information on The Way to Happiness visit www.thewaytohappiness.org.