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Posts Tagged ‘Scientology Volunteer Ministers’

Salt Lake City—The Churches of Scientology Disaster Response (CSDR) was proud to participate with the national member organizations of the National VOAD (Voluntary Organizations Active in Disasters) attending the 17th annual conference last week in Salt Lake City, Utah. The theme of the conference was “Life Elevated…A Celebration of Service.”

National VOAD is the forum where organizations share knowledge and resources throughout the disaster cycle-preparation, response and recovery – to help disaster survivors and their communities.

Members of National VOAD form a coalition of nonprofit organizations that respond to disasters as part of their overall mission, promoting the cooperation, communication, coordination and collaboration needed in disaster response not only among themselves but with local, state and federal agencies as well.

“Service to those in need is paramount,” said Susan Taylor, National Director of the Churches of Scientology Disaster Response. “We do our best in times of disaster to provide whatever help is needed whether it is distributing food, water, or supplies; providing direct services to individuals in need; helping to clean up after floods; or providing spiritual care to responders, survivors or care-givers-helping them to overcome stress, shock, loss or trauma.”

Scientology Volunteer Ministers specialize in providing “Scientology Assists” — simple light, non-intrusive emotional and spiritual stress relief techniques developed by Scientology Founder L. Ron Hubbard. These assists help, among many things, to restore order and calm in an area, address and alleviate the emotional and spiritual effects of physical pain, shock and trauma, relieve stress, help orient a confused or distraught individual and help survivors, responders and care-givers to cope with the immediate situation more rapidly and effectively.

CSDR volunteers reach out to those in need in the field or from their field base. Their large yellow tents are often used as PODs (points of distribution) where water, food and supplies are given to those in need. CSDR activities have ranged from helping at recent fires in California, to assisting during floods in Washington State, tornados in the mid-west, and hurricanes in Florida and the Southeast.

This last week CSDR participated with other organizations at the National VOAD conference’s Exhibit Hall by having a booth where Scientology Assists demonstrations were given. During the final evening’s celebration at the Salt Palace, the CSDR yellow tent was on display alongside the Red Cross and Salvation Army trucks and other agencies’ emergency vehicles. CSDR volunteers offered Assists to the attendees, demonstrating their effectiveness.

Ms. Taylor noted that it is a privilege to work with so many other organizations to help those in need. “The collaborative efforts of all of us make it possible to bring real help and relief after a disaster,” she said.

In establishing the Scientology Volunteer Ministers program more than 30 years ago, L. Ron Hubbard, the founder of the Scientology religion, wrote: “A Volunteer Minister does not shut his eyes to the pain, evil and injustice of existence. Rather, he is trained to handle these things and help others achieve relief from them and new personal strength as well.”

For more information about the Scientology Volunteer Ministers Program, visit www.volunteerministers.org or the official Scientology web site at www.scientology.org.

The Scientology Volunteer Ministers, a community service organization active in times of emergency and natural disasters, went into immediate action last January when a 6.1 magnitude earthquake killed at least 34. With reports of more than 1,200 people trapped in the hardest hit zone, 19 volunteers from the two Costa Rica Scientology Missions set out for the city of Alajuela to help.

Downtown Alajuela was the staging area, where those who were evacuated or left homeless by the quake were brought for emergency care and shelter. The Scientology volunteers pitched in alongside other humanitarian programs such as the Red Cross and Boy Scouts to help the police and the National Commission of Emergencies erect tents for temporary housing. They helped staff relief centers and distributed food, clothing and water to the quake victims.

The earthquake had sent furniture and files sprawling throughout the medical center, turning the already daunting task of helping the injured into a logistical nightmare. So the Scientology Volunteer Ministers cleaned the place up so center staff could concentrate on their vital duties.

A team of Scientology Volunteer Ministers went from house to house to help people evacuate or put order into their homes. They made sure those who were injured got the care they needed, and provided Scientology assists–simple procedures developed by L. Ron Hubbard, founder of the Scientology religion, that help people overcome the emotional and spiritual side of trauma so they can recover fully from injury, stress or shock.



Brought together by a sense of urgency, duty and a desire to help others, the volunteers decided to carry on their work after the natural disaster was over. They have established a permanent Scientology Volunteer Ministers Team to continue to bring help on a grassroots level to the people of the region.



For more information on the Scientology Volunteer Ministers humanitarian efforts and to learn about volunteerism opportunities, visit the web site at www.volunteerministers.org