Beverly Hills Kindness Task Force Spreads Good Cheer

BEVERLY HILLS, CA —Beverly Hills has decided that it wants to spread kindness, not COVID-19. In mid-March, then-Mayor and current councilmember John Mirisch formed a citywide Kindness Task Force to do just that: spread kindness at a time when people need it more than ever.

In a month, the Task Force has been launched a few successful initiatives. One of the most notable is the Frontline Meals program, in which participating local restaurants use donations from the public to pay for meals to donate the city’s first responders. To date, the public has raised over $30,000 for fifteen restaurants (and counting), which have used the money to deliver more than 600 meals to Beverly Hills police officers, firefighters, and other essential workers who cannot work from home.

“This is a win-win for everyone,” Annette Saleh, chairperson of the Beverly Hills Human Relations Commission, said of the program. “The community gets to be part of it, the restaurants that are struggling get the help and moral support they need, and the first responders get the appreciation of the community.”

Restaurants that would like to participate – which so far include Crème de la Crème, Roni’s Diner, Euro Café, The Nosh of Beverly Hills, Brighton Coffee Shop, Gourmando, Upper Crust Pizzeria, Jersey Mike’s, Café Roma, Mickey Fine Pharmacy and Grill, Otro Dia Tacos, Planet Smoothie, Xi’an, Brooklyn Water Bagels, and the Belvedere Restaurant at the Peninsula Beverly Hills – contact Saleh and set up a date that they would like to deliver. Through its social media channels, the Human Relations Commission alerts the public to donate to that particular restaurant that day. People then donate through Venmo or call the restaurant directly, and restaurants then contact first responders to set up delivery times. Saleh estimates that over 125 meals a day are served.

“It’s been hugely successful, and I’m very pleasantly surprised with the response from the community,” Saleh said.

The City has also arranged a community COVID-19 Book Club that is currently reading “The Great Gatsby.” Each week, community members can tune into Facebook Live to hear a different official read chapters. So far, John Mirisch, Saleh’s husband Marc, and Human Relations Chair Ori Blumenfeld have all read chapters. “It’s for human contact, just to get the community involved and listening,” Saleh said.

The Task Force is also helping community help each other through the “Neighbor to Neighbor” program. Volunteers will soon be able to write personalized postcards to neighbors they suspect may need assistance, which ask the neighbor to check off services they’d like during this time.

To learn more or get involved, visit https://app.betterimpact.com/PublicOrganization/71191104-6887-4b6f-ae81-a7bad0ef08af/ActivityCategory/172138/3.