Meet a Scientologist—Patricia Harris: Doing her Part to Uplift Inglewood

A Scientologist since 1973, Patricia Harris says Scientology transformed her life. Harris wants to share what she has gained with the Inglewood community and South Los Angeles.

With the opening of the Church of Scientology in Inglewood set for November 2011, and the Church’s Scientology Community Center in South Los Angeles opening the same day, Patricia Harris, new Public Affairs Director for the Inglewood Church, says she has never had so much fun working so hard. For Harris, this is a labor of love.

A Scientologist since 1973, what she gained in Scientology transformed her life. It has also inspired her to help others.

“Inglewood is a very spiritual city—there is a church on almost every corner,” says Harris. “But the community is plagued by crime and drugs. There are a lot of able people of many faiths here who all want to change this. What we bring to these problems is our own dedication, effective programs and technology that works.”

When Harris first moved to the United States from Trinidad in the West Indies in 1963, she would never have guessed she would some day feel confident enough to be meeting with officials and civic leaders to address the most urgent problems of the community.

“When I was growing up I was so shy,” she says. “It was awful how afraid and withdrawn I was.”

Moving to New York in search of better job opportunities paid off for her.

“New York was so interesting in the ‘60s,” says Harris. “I loved it. And I was very fortunate—I got a really good job as a flight attendant, flying back and forth between New York and L.A.”

It was 10 years later, 1973, when she was pregnant with her first child, that Harris first learned of Scientology.

“I was anxious about doing what was best for my baby,” she says. “A friend of mine, a Scientologist, told me to read the book Dianetics: The Modern Science of Mental Health by L. Ron Hubbard. I went right to the chapter ‘Prenatal Experience and Birth.’ What I read totally made sense to me and it changed my way of thinking about my unborn child.”

“As I continued with Scientology training and counseling I found that the more I got to know myself, the more I liked myself and the better I related to others. I no longer felt afraid or intimidated. My increased confidence made me more successful in business. Life changed tremendously.”

Moving to Los Angeles, Harris set up a business in Inglewood, California, in 1989, and has been the owner and director of a physical therapy clinic there since 1995.

“One day I realized—I have to bring this to our community,” says Harris. “I used my office to get it started—a friend and I held seminars and did tutoring there. We used every opportunity to tell people about Dianetics and Scientology. And now we have this beautiful new Church of Scientology of Inglewood. This is a dream come true.”

Harris says this new Church and Scientology Community Center provide the means to team up with other groups and individuals who share a common purpose.

“We are working together to create a better community, a better life for people, a change, a difference. Our new Church and community center are open to everyone of any faith. Together, we will create a renaissance for Inglewood and South L.A.”

To learn more about what Scientologists are doing to create a better world, watch “Meet a Scientologist” videos at www.scientology.org.

The Church of Scientology of Inglewood—sister-Church to the Church of Scientology of Harlem set to be opened next year—is the newest of dozens of Ideal Scientology Church Organizations (“Ideal Orgs”). Ideal Orgs realize the fulfillment of Founder L. Ron Hubbard’s vision for the religion and its Churches. Ideal Orgs not only provide the ideal facilities to service Scientologists on their spiritual ascent, but they are also designed to serve as a home for the entire community and a meeting ground of cooperative effort to uplift citizens of all denominations.