In the last year Volunteer Ministers of the Church of Scientology have helped over 200,000 of people in the Philippines who were affected by typhoons.

Typhoon Rammasun left 82 people dead and 40,000 homes destroyed. Then came Typhoon Hagupit in December, pounding the Philippines islands for three days and leaving more death and destruction.

The Church of Scientology Volunteer Ministers were on the ground after th typhoons hit providing anything needed—food, water, clothing, tents, a kind word, and, of course, what the Volunteer Ministers are most known for—Scientology assists, simple procedures to alleviate the spiritual component of physical pain, shock or emotional trauma. Volunteer Ministers give these assists to anyone in need, and teach them to anyone who wants to help another.

They first coordinated with other relief groups and local officials to determine the greatest need, and they went to work. They traveled 340 miles by boat, bicycle, trolley and any other conveyance at hand to reach remote, hard-hit areas. They organized food and water and got it into the hands of those who needed it. They helped residents clean up their homes—or helped them search in the rubble of a fallen house for cherished family possessions.

In a tent city set up for the newly homeless, the Volunteer Ministers set about helping dazed and frightened children. They fed them, played games, sang songs, and gave assists to help them recover from the shock of the disaster, bringing smiles to the faces of 2,000 children in one camp. In another, they distributed relief goods to over 4,000 families and gave hundreds of assists.

The Foundation for a Drug-Free World, a community outreach program of the Church of Scientology, participated in the San Gabriel Valley Boy Scout’s Annual Expo at the Santa Anita Racetrack for the first time this year. The Church of Scientology has long been a supporter of scouting. L. Ron Hubbard, founder of the Church of Scientology, became an Eagle Scout at the age of 13.

The Foundation was invited to participate in the Expo by Charlie Wilson, The Rose Bowl District Manager for San Gabriel Valley Boy Scout Council after he had attended their recent Drug Forum at the Church of Scientology in Pasadena, CA.

Drug education is part of the requirement for scouts to fulfill their Second Class Rank. Section 9a states: “Participate in a school, community, or troop program on the dangers of using drugs, alcohol, and tobacco and other practices that could be harmful to your health. Discuss your participation in the program with your family.”

The Foundation for a Drug-Free World booth was manned by Pasadena parishioners.  They set up a mini theater where 20 minutes of the “Truth about Drugs” DVD was screened every half-hour. The sections on the introduction, alcohol and marijuana were shown at these screenings, as these are the most popular and easily accessible drugs.

Certificates of completion were given to the scouts who watched the presentation as part of their 2nd class rank requirement 9a. Each scout was advised that as part of the requirement they had to discuss what they had learned with their family and explain the dangers of drug addiction to fulfill the complete 9a requirement. Each scout was also given several copies of the “Truth about Drugs” booklet to share with others.

Scout leaders and parents were able to request more information, get copies of the booklets, or book a drug education talk for their group. The Foundation for a Drug-Free World was awarded a presidential ribbon for their booth by the organizers of the Expo.

On Friday 11 March at 2:46pm local time, a 9.0 magnitude earthquake struck off the northeast coast of Japan, immediately followed by 6.8 and 7.3 magnitude2 aftershocks. This is the fourth largest earthquake in the world since recordings began in 19002. The quake triggered a 23 feet high (7 meters) tsunami across a 1,300 mile coastline, taking with it buildings, trees, cars, boats, ships and trains several miles inland.

The disaster has left over 590,000 people homeless and living in temporary shelters. An estimated 4.4 million more are without electricity and another million homes without water. The death toll is being estimated as reaching more than 10,000.

To make matters worse, tens of thousands of people have been evacuated from a 30 mile radius area of a nuclear power plant that was damaged by the earthquake, threatening a radiation leak.

VMs TAKE ACTION

The Volunteer Ministers of the Church of Scientology in Japan instantly responded to the disaster and an international call for help has been issued to all VMs with experience in disaster response to come to Japan, as hundreds of VMs will be needed to assist the people of Japan. Volunteer Minister units in Japan, Australia and New Zealand have been activated and are in the process of setting up disaster response logistics.

The International Association of Scientologists (IAS) immediately granted funds for VM disaster relief efforts. The grant will cover all costs necessary to not only transport  VMs into the disaster zones, but also to transport other disaster response specialists from other parts of the world.  The grant also covers the costs of emergency equipment, medical supplies, food, tents, sleeping bags, communication devices and all other support for the VMs in the disaster area.

Over 4,200 local Scientologists attended the Grand Opening of the new Church of Scientology of Pasadena.

Mr. David Miscavige, Chairman of the Board of Religious Technology Center and ecclesiastical leader of the Scientology religion, officiated, welcoming dignitaries, parishioners and guests to the Church’s new 58,000-square-foot facility in Old Pasadena.

Also commemorating the occasion was Pasadena Mayor Bill Bogaard. Mayor Bogaard welcomed the new Church to the city: “With this beautifully restored structure in Old Pasadena, the Church of Scientology represents not only a growing religion, but an important factor in the future of this city. … So, it is a pleasure for me to extend a cordial welcome to you and this extraordinary Church of Scientology of Pasadena with its long history of service to the community.”

Pasadena Heritage board officer Teresa Grimes spoke of the appreciation for the city’s architectural legacy that is shared by the Pasadena Heritage Society she represents and the Church: “The Church of Scientology has purchased, rehabilitated and restored historic buildings throughout the world, and by doing so, has helped revitalize the communities in which they are located. …For not only have you preserved the physical past, you have also gone out of your way to care for tomorrow both culturally and spiritually. Your commitment to our community has been nothing less than outstanding, and I only hope that others will follow the example of the Church of Scientology.”

Pasadena Ministerial Association President Dr. Nicholas Benson spoke on behalf of the interfaith community: “For all of Pasadena, this day represents more than an opportunity to welcome a friend to their new home. This is a Church, an open haven where we have the opportunity to help ourselves, our loved ones and the community. I encourage everyone to make the most of this Church, and like me, take what it has to offer.” Dr Benson spoke of his experiences with using L. Ron Hubbard’s Way to Happiness program to rehabilitate offenders and the remarkable drop in recidivism rate among those who do the program.

The building features a Chapel seating hundreds, a library containing all Church Scripture, as well as a multitude of seminar rooms, film rooms and volunteer work spaces for its many social betterment and community programs and projects in addition to course and counseling rooms to provide Scientology training and auditing for parishioners.

The Church of Scientology has organized two chartered flights to Haiti to take doctors, medical supplies and Volunteer Ministers to the stricken country.

The first Scientology Disaster Response Team arrived in Haiti Sunday January 17th.  They flew ut of  JFK in New York with 126 doctors and nurses from the Haitian Physicians Abroad, paramedics from the Bedford-Stuyvesant Volunteer Ambulance Corps, and Volunteer Ministers from a half-dozen states.

The 2nd flight, a 168-seat aircraft, took off from Los Angeles Thursday  January 21, stopped at Miami International Airport to pick up additional medical personnel and Volunteer Minister teams, and continued to Port-au-Prince.

More than half those on this flight were medical professionals, including doctors and nurses from the Association of Haitian Physicians Abroad (Association des Medecins Haitiens a l’Etranger) and from the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

Also on board were Scientology Volunteer Ministers from cities across the United States. The Pasadena Parishioners are proud to support our Volunteer MInisters in Haiti and we’ll be keeping you updated on their activities.

Renovations have begun on the new home of the Church of Scientology in Pasadena, California.

The east side of the 3rd floor has been transformed from a lot of small office suites into a large academy for delivering auditor training.

As the renos progress we will be posting more photographs.  

On December 10th 2008 the Mayor of Pasadena and the Consul General of the Philippines attended an event at our new Church of Scientology in Pasadena to mark the 60th anniversary of the Declaration of Human Rights.

Watch the Human Rights Public Service announcements created by Youth for Human Rights.

“In the course of this year, unprecedented efforts must be made to ensure that every person in the world can rely on just laws for his or her protection. In advancing all human rights for all, we will move towards the greatest fulfillment of human potential, a promise which is at the heart of the Universal Declaration.”

High Commissioner for Human Rights Louise Arbour

Last year more than 40 Latino families in the LA area got a helping hand from the women’s auxiliary of the Church of Scientology in Pasadena.

For many children, going back to school can be a daunting experience. These kids benefitted from a donation from the women’s auxiliary that made it possible for them to arrive with a backpack full of school supplies instead of coming empty-handed.

Members of the women’s auxiliary of the Church of Scientology in Pasadena donated 46 backpacks to the Latino Family Preservation Program, an arm of the County of Los Angeles’ Department of Children and Family Services whose mission is to be the “glue” that keeps Latino families together. The LFPP helps ensure children stay with their families rather than end up in the foster care system.

For many years, the Church of Scientology has supported the Latino Family Preservation Program with donations at Thanksgiving, Christmas, and of course in mSetptember at the start of the school year. 

Twenty years ago the International Association of Scientologists (IAS) launched the Freewinds, a motor vessel based in the Caribbean.  The purpose of the Freewinds is to provide a retreat for religious study and counselling.

Last night the Pasadena parishioners of the Church of Scientology got together to celebrate the 20th anniversary of the Freewinds Maiden voyage. the event was held in the Braley Building, the future home of our church in Pasadena.  Although the renovations are not yet complete, we were welcomed into the chapel

We saw a video of the social programs the IAS has funded this year. We’re proud to know that our church is active on the front lines of society and it was heartwarming to listen to the people we’ve worked with around the world say that we can be relied on to get the job done.

Our Volunteer MInisters have been very busy this year with all the natural disasters that have occurred – we heard from firefighters in Southern California, the Red Cross in the Phillipines, teachers and religious leaders in India and monks in Myanmar. The VMs are getting known all over for their work in disaster relief.

When you see a natural disaster on the news - a fire, flood or earthquake that devastates the lives of people in a community – keep your eyes peeled for the yellow shirts of the VMs. We’ll be there to help