Since that fateful day when Hurricane Katrina sent her raging through Louisiana and Mississippi, the focus of the media has mainly centered around the physical damage, financial loss and human trauma that had been left behind in her anger.
We hear and read about the millions of dollars in donations that have been made by companies, charitable groups, individuals and governments from around the world. Considerable attention has also been placed on massive efforts to clean up and repair physical damage to property and infrastructure.
However, the human element is much more traumatic, and undoubtedly the most tragic and devastating aspect of the entire disaster. We hear about abandoned children from parents and families; hard-working and decent citizens who lost everything they worked a lifetime to achieve; civil unrest. It’s impossible to list all kinds of personal tragedies that have befallen individuals in this storm-battered region of the US.
There is one group that is deeply involved in helping people to deal with the adverse mental and spiritual effects they have suffered. It’s a team – a network of Volunteer Ministers around the world, in fact – that answers the official name “Scientology’s Disaster Response Team.” Many people of all faiths have been trained as Volunteer Ministers and joined the team to help those in need in Mississippi and Louisiana.
Scientology’s presence of strong Disaster Response Teams in all Hurricane Katrina affected areas and affected by Rita, has provided individuals with a way, once first aid was provided, to help a person recover from shock and traumatic injury, which in turn helps speed recovery.
Who are the Volunteer Ministers?
In an official communique urging all civilian authorities to take advantage of the effective services provided by the Minister of Volunteers, local sheriff Michael Couvillion of Lafayette, Florida, wrote the following:
“Scientology International’s Disaster Response Team has been working at Ground Zero for 9-11, helping cleanup and relief after the Tsunami, and was a major force in every hurricane to hit Florida in the last three years. They are experts in dealing with human suffering and helping rescue workers. and other relief teams to get the job done.
“They should be allowed on any and all lines in Louisiana to further help remove [ing] the destroyed survivors and to help us rebuild southeast Louisiana.”
Scientology Volunteer Ministers
The motto of the Scientology Volunteer Minister is simple: Something You CAN Do About It.
This is what the Volunteer Ministers are doing – helping people every day, day after day, one-on-one – and that can be seen by the results they recently had in Louisiana and Mississippi.