Scientology Volunteer Ministers Provide Disaster Relief During Melbourne Fires

Press release

The Church of Scientology Volunteer Ministers of Melbourne, Australia Aided Firefighters and Provided Emergency Relief to Victims of Raging Wildfires That Took an Estimated 200 Lives

Scientology Volunteer Ministers, a grassroots community service organization, which provides on-site relief for emergencies and natural disasters, rushed to help overtaxed firefighters, police and emergency workers when bushfires broke out in the area around Kinglake and Whittlesea in Victoria, Australia on February 7, 2009.

The fires killed at least 200 and destroyed more than 1,800 homes. Some 5,000 people, many of whom are now homeless, were evacuated. The fire also laid waste to 400,000 hectares (988,000 acres) of forests, farms and country towns.

A team of 20 Scientology Volunteer Ministers took on whatever job was needed, providing help to over 3,000 people. Among the Scientology Volunteer Ministers were two chefs who took over running the kitchen that fed some 2,000 people each day. Volunteers organized and ran the frozen and refrigerated food area, handing out drinks and organizing the distribution of donated clothes.

The group also demolished smoldering homes, rebuilt damaged houses and established a “Scientology Volunteers Resource Centre,” where team members ensured the Red Cross and other disaster relief agencies on the ground had the supplies they needed to carry on their work.

One of the most important and unique services Volunteer Ministers provided was Scientology assists to help firemen cope with the devastation and grueling conditions they had to confront. These assists are 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.

For more information on the Scientology Volunteer Ministers program or to enroll in free online courses or schedule a seminar visit their web site at www.volunteerministers.org.

West Africa: Church of Scientology Volunteer Ministers Goodwill Tour in Republic of Benin

Press release

The Scientology Volunteer Ministers, a community service organization specializing in disaster relief and emergency response, has moved from Togo to the Republic of Benin during its West Africa Goodwill Tour to address the country’s alarming poverty issues and illiteracy rates.

A grassroots organization called the Scientology Volunteer Ministers West Africa Goodwill Tour, is in Contonou in the Republic of Benin. Having completed their tour in Togo. , the Volunteer Ministers are offering courses, seminars and one-on-one help to improve conditions in this country.

Benin ranks among the worst 20 nations in the world in United Nations Human Development Index, which rates countries by life expectancy, literacy, education and economic factors. According to the CIA World Factbook, fewer than 35 percent of those over the age of 15 in Benin can read and write. On March 5, 2008, a study released jointly by the Ministry of Family and Children of Benin and the United Nations showed that in 2006 alone, more than 40,000 six to seventeen-year-old children were trafficked into slavery in the country.

Scientology Volunteer Ministers Goodwill Tours go to remote areas and deal directly with individuals, nonprofit organizations, churches, schools and police and fire departments to deliver effective solutions to the community. Volunteer Ministers also train people with courses, workshops and seminars based on the Scientology Handbook. The book, a compilation of the works of Scientology founder L. Ron Hubbard, provides technology for improving communication and relationships, learning how to learn, coping with job stress and overcoming drug addiction.

Moreover, it covers such essential subjects as ethics, how to resolve conflicts and the basics of organization. By training others in how to use this technology and through one-on-one help to anyone who comes to their big yellow tent, the Scientology Volunteer Ministers not only make an immediate impact on the lives of those in the towns and cities they visit, but also establish groups that carry on their work after they move on.

“Thanks to this training I will be able to help people who have difficulties in life,” said one person on completing a course at the Scientology Volunteer Ministers tent. “I am now capable of studying any subject efficiently and helping others succeed in their studies,” said a student who finished a course in study technology. After completing two courses, another student came back to tell the volunteers that his boss wanted to know what had happened to him because he was handling problems at work so much better than before.

There are Scientology Volunteer Goodwill Tours in Africa, Latin America, Eastern Europe, Siberia, Asia, the South Pacific and the Australia Outback.

For more information on the Scientology Volunteer Ministers program, or to take a free course online or book a seminar visit the web site at www.volunteerministers.org.