9021Mom: Jill Black Helps People Get Back on Their Feet

Beverly Hills native Jill Black's devotion and passion to the recovery of children and adults who have lost hope has made her one of the Los Angeles area's leading humanitarians in the fight against homelessness, poverty, drug addiction and abuse.

“I like to help people get back on their feet again. It’s about service and spirit. The more you give the better you feel,” Black has said.

She is on the board of directors of several nonprofit organizations including Shane’s Inspiration, which creates universally accessible playgrounds for children with disabilities, and the Los Angeles Neighborhood Land Trust, which creates urban parks and gardens in low-income and underserved communities.

Black’s mission is simple. She works to promote the health and welfare of disadvantaged families.

“It’s heartbreaking to see the suffering people can endure,” she said.

Black has lived in Beverly Hills for most of her life. A graduate of Hawthorne and Beverly Hills High School, she left the city to attend American University in Washington, D.C. Upon receiving her bachelor’s degree in public communications, she returned home.

Black said her family has been her inspiration. “My father said the community has been good to him, and so he must give back,” she said.

The Stanley and Joyce Black Family Foundation, of which Black serves as a director, is involved with charitable organizations including Vista Del Mar, The Jewish Federation and Jewish Vocational Services. Her family’s Black Equities Group on North Camden Drive in Beverly Hills has combined business with charitable endeavors.

Jill Black is involved with property management and acquisition of retail and industrial properties in addition to her work combating indigence. She has two adult children who follow in their mother’s footsteps with an open heart and giving nature.

On Sunday the community is giving back to Black. She will be receiving Beyond Shelter’s Inspiration Award. The charity brunch will be held at The Mark on Pico Boulevard. Black has been a member of the organization's board of directors for the past three years and is proud of the advances it has made to combat homelessness. 

Founded in 1988 by Tanya Tull, Beyond Shelter is a nonprofit whose aim is to help the increasing number of homeless families in Los Angeles. Its innovative Housing First program expedites the transition from shelters and interim housing to permanent homes.

Assistance includes help with re-entry into the job market, child care, educational activities and health care. Ensuring social and economic well-being is vital to maintaining a life off the streets. Since its inception, Beyond Shelter has placed more than 5,000 families into permanent housing.

The Housing First program has received national and international acclaim and has helped to change public policy.

I will be honored to attend “Sunday Brunch with Jill” and applaud an exceptional woman whose spirit of unswerving compassion and empathy opens the doors for a new life to thousands of people. 

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