Providing relief to those affected by record flooding
Nearly a month since torrential rains triggered flooding, submerging much of the state of Rio Grande do Sul in Brazil, Scientology Volunteer Ministers continue to work with and support disaster response agencies coping with unprecedented destruction. While media are reporting 150 people have perished from the flood, those on the ground report the casualty rate is far higher. Many are without water, electricity and basic services. At least 600,000 have been displaced and much of the region is still underwater.
Help is urgently needed. The Church of Scientology Mission of São Paulo is coordinating Volunteer Minister activities in the region. In partnership with the Boy Scouts and civil firefighters, who have trained in Volunteer Minister technology, they are organizing and distributing supplies and providing Scientology assists to those devastated by the crisis. Assists are techniques developed by Scientology Founder L. Ron Hubbard to provide relief from the mental and spiritual factors of trauma and stress, making it possible for victims of disaster to come to terms with their circumstances and take effective action to deal with them.
Scientology Volunteer Ministers international headquarters in Los Angeles flew a team of the legendary Los Topos disaster response specialists from Mexico to Brazil. Los Topos, who have partnered with the Volunteer Ministers on numerous disasters since 2010, is working with the Brazilian military and civil defense to search for and rescue victims trapped in their homes, and provide needed first aid.
In Mathias Velho, one of the hardest-hit areas, Volunteer Ministers are working alongside local firefighters, organizing donated supplies, food, and water and delivering them by boat to those stranded in flooded areas.
Scoutmaster Marcos Antonio Correia Santos, who is working with the Volunteer Ministers team, describes the region as “a war zone. People don’t know what to do,” he says. “They are afraid—you can see the fear on their faces.”
“The suffering and pain is immense,” says a Volunteer Minister who flew in from Guatemala to join the disaster response team. “They are going to need a
lot of help.”
Anyone wishing to donate time, supplies or equipment or to help those suffering from this crisis is urged to contact the Scientology São Paulo Mission. It is located at Rua Serra De Botucatu 1208 in São Paulo and can be reached at 011 2094-4214.
The Scientology Volunteer Ministers program is a religious social service, developed by Mr. Hubbard in the mid-1970s. In an essay announcing the program, he wrote: “If one does not like the crime, cruelty, injustice and violence of this society, he can do something about it. He can become a Volunteer Minister and help civilize it, bring it conscience and kindness and love and freedom from travail by instilling into it trust, decency, honesty and tolerance.”
Their motto is no matter the circumstances, “Something can be done about it.”
With the events of the 9/11 terrorist attacks in New York City, Scientology ecclesiastical leader Mr. David Miscavige called on Scientologists to redouble their efforts to aid their fellow man. He issued a directive entitled “The Wake-Up Call,” which has inspired exponential growth within the Volunteer Minister program.
Operation: Do Something About It is a feature-length film produced by Scientology Media Productions that documents the Volunteer Ministers’ international response to the COVID-19 pandemic. It is available in 17 languages on DIRECTV Channel 320, DIRECTV STREAM, AT&T U-verse and streams at Scientology.tv, on mobile apps and via the Roku, Amazon Fire and Apple TV platforms.
