Hurricane Season is Over—But Scientology Continues to Help the Community

A Scientology Volunteer Minister provides relief and renewed sense of security for those most affected after Hurricane Irma.

Hurricane Irma was an extremely powerful and catastrophic hurricane, the strongest in the Atlantic since Wilma in 2005. In its wake, nearly 2,500 Scientology Volunteer Ministers and their partners mobilized to return the city to its pre-hurricane condition within weeks of Irma making landfall. Toppled trees and broken limbs were cut up and carried away, roofs mended and some 44 tons of debris disposed of.

With power out through much of the region, Volunteer Ministers supplied more than 3,000 bags of ice and 800 gallons of water to local households. They helped return Clearwater Beach to its previous pristine condition, and tackled the cleanup of Greenwood and Gateway, two of the city’s underserved communities. Several days after the storm, with power still down, they sent in food trucks and set up a barbecue, serving free hot meals to nearly 6,000 people.

But a careful observer would notice that while the community has returned to “normal,” Scientology volunteer actions continue every day.

The downtown Scientology Information Center held a disaster response training seminar where attendees learned first aid, CPR (cardiopulmonary resuscitation) and Scientology assists—designed to help an individual deal with the spiritual and emotional effects of a disaster, which can sometimes be even more difficult to cope with than the damage or loss of physical property.

A careful observer would notice that while the community has returned to “normal,” Scientology volunteer actions continue every day.

Scientologists help tutor local children at the Clearwater Community Center, just one of eight Clearwater social betterment programs supported by the Church of Scientology.

While Hurricane Irma was a high-profile example of Scientologists’ volunteerism, the story has many earlier chapters. Scientologists have served Clearwater for more than four decades, and will continue to serve with their effective tools, rain or shine, in disaster or everyday life.

FACTS

EVERYDAY DISASTERS
Beyond natural disasters there are everyday situations that affect us all.

EVERY

2 SECONDS

a report is made of child abuse

29.5

MILLION PEOPLE

internationally are addicted to drugs, with opioids accounting for 70% of poor health associated with abuse

758

MILLION ADULTS

are illiterate, two-thirds of whom are women

40-50%

OF MARRIAGES

end in divorce, and the divorce rate for subsequent marriages is even higher

$550

BILLION LOST

due to unhappy and disengaged workers in the US

MAKE HELP POSSIBLE

Volunteer Ministers are on call across the globe and around the clock to respond to any and every disaster. Your contribution will fund volunteer travel as well as food, water, tents and medical supplies for disaster victims.