Flood relief, Prague, Czech Republic

Hundreds of Volunteer Ministers across Hungary, Germany and Czech Republic contributed to disaster relief during the devastating floods of 2002. Their effective organising and implementing of relief activities earned acknowledgment from Prague officials, who requested their continued assistance after other volunteers returned home.

These examples are, by no means, isolated requests for the help of Scientology Volunteer Ministers.

Heavy rains across central and eastern Europe caused the massive 2002 flooding, the likes of which had not been seen for centuries. The catastrophe killed more than 100 people and forced the evacuation of hundreds of thousands. Historic city centres in eastern Germany, Hungary and Czech Republic were devastated. Other regions that were affected included areas in Austria, Slovakia, Romania and even Russia.

In Czech Republic, the torrential rains caused the Moldau River to overflow and deluge the many cities along the river. The resulting damage from the rains and flooding caused on the order of 32.4 thousand million in damage, claimed the lives of sixteen people and left an estimated 30,000 people homeless. With fellow Volunteer Ministers in Budapest and Germany already in action, the Volunteer Ministers in Czech Republic banded together to divert the floodwaters. Working side by side with — and organising — the other local citizens who had come to help, they worked day and night at the river banks, filling sandbags and transporting them along "human chains" to barricade large sections of businesses and homes.

"I want to convey thanks for the good work of the Volunteer Ministers of the Scientology community. "Your endeavour to bring about serenity, tolerance and new trust in confronting life, even in calamities and difficult situations, is undoubtedly a task of vital importance, especially considering the growing impulse towards peace that is felt by all of us. "The town of Turin needs volunteers like you, who dedicate yourself and volunteer time and energy towards solidarity and civil diligence. For this I thank you and welcome you warmly." — Lucia Centillo, Councillor, Piedmont

Meanwhile, Prague’s Centre for Floods called upon the Volunteer Ministers to aid in evacuating the homes along the river. The first evacuation centre at a school was soon filled with evacuees. A second school, and then a third, were established as back-up centres. Meanwhile, activities continued at the floodwaters, where Volunteer Ministers and others feverishly built more sandbag barriers.

Soon, the flooding was contained. And while other civilians returned home, the Civilian Disaster Coordinator asked the Scientology Volunteer Ministers to stay on, because they were so well organised and the city was still in a state of shock. Working hand in hand with emergency service personnel, the Volunteer Ministers thus continued to assist in relocating people whose homes had been flooded and in helping to restore order to the city.

Bush fires, Australia

Scientology Volunteer Ministers worked alongside fire fighters combating bush fires that burned 12 million acres in Australia. Providing relief-giving assists, the volunteers were soon requested by fire department officials to train their own staff on the procedures. When earthquakes in Colombia left 10,000 homeless, Volunteer Minister teams provided spiritual assistance to the traumatised and helped distribute water and supplies.

Earthquake relief, Columbia

Lieutenant Colonel Dalibor Gosman, Director of Prague’s fire brigade rescue team, graciously thanked the Volunteer Ministers, stating: "We highly appreciate the immediate help and selfless support your volunteer ministers, and the Church of Scientology as a whole, gave us while eliminating the consequences of the flood disaster of our capital city, Prague.

"Your help was of higher significance, as the crisis with its unprecedented magnitude went beyond all our experience up to now. The integrated rescue team, as well as the fire brigade rescue staff of the capital city, Prague, wouldn’t have been able to, without your help, get all the necessary work done without mental and physical exhaustion of the staff. Had we not had your help, which I appreciate enormously, the consequences would have been much worse.

"Therefore...please allow me, as the director of the fire brigade rescue corps of the capital city of Prague, to thank you very sincerely, on behalf of all the firemen and rescuers.

Tornado disaster, Oklahoma City

"At the same time, I would like to ask that you pass on our thanks and expression of respect to all your Volunteer Ministers who participated in the work among rescuers and evacuation centres, for their dedication, personal courage and excellent cooperation with our professional teams."

When terrorist bombings at three train stations in Madrid killed 191 people and injured more than 1,400 in March 2004, twenty Volunteer Ministers rushed to the disaster site, providing assists to the injured victims and family members who had lost their loved ones.

San Diego, USA

Scientology Volunteer Ministers provided thousands of hours of assistance to the fire fighters and victims of fires that swept through Southern California in 2003 and were applauded for their actions by state and national officials, including the mayor of San Diego and the governor of California.

In the United States, Southern California wildfires raged out of control in November 2003, with more than 100,000 people forced to evacuate their homes — many of them permanently. Twenty-two people died, one of them a fire fighter. Worst hit was San Diego County, where two of the fires combined to create a wall of flame 40 miles long, and would devour some 273,000 acres. Volunteer Ministers were soon called into action.

Emergency assistance teams at Gillespie rescue base in San Diego quickly saw how competent and hard working the Volunteer Ministers were, and as a result, officials began to entrust them with more demanding duties. After just a few days, the Volunteer Ministers were put in charge of all traffic control and information services — a critical factor, as it meant fire fighters and police could tend to front-line casualties. And of course, assists were administered wherever needed.

San Diego, USA

After several 18-hour days at Gillespie, the leader of the Volunteer Minister team was called into the office of Luke Sandoval, a California Department of Forestry (CDF) official on the emergency base. He told her, "I have been working for CDF for over 30 years and we have never had an operation run so smoothly and the morale of not only the fire fighters but the administrative personnel be so high!"

Los Angeles, USA

The value of the work of the Volunteer Ministers was later recognised and applauded by many, including the head of the Federal Emergency Management Authority (FEMA), White House staff, the Governors of California (both incoming Arnold Schwarzenegger and outgoing Gray Davis) and the mayor of San Diego, among others.

Rolando Ricasa, an assistant base camp manager who had watched, firsthand, the Volunteer Ministers in operation at the base camp, said, "They are by far the most professional and dedicated volunteer group I have ever seen." Ricasa said the Volunteer Ministers were "amazingly effective" in helping to put order into a chaotic situation.