Scientology Disaster Response in the Wake of Fiji Floods

Scientology Volunteer Ministers, mobilized in the wake of recent floods, are providing relief and helping in the cleanup operation in Vita Levu, the main island of Fiji.

The United Nations Office for Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) estimates the flooding of early April 2012, the worst in decades, caused $71.3 million in damage. And although the waters have receded, entire villages were submerged in floodwaters and the damage continues to impact the lives of thousands.

Scientology Volunteer Ministers, active since the state of emergency was declared April 1, are helping cleanup crews remove mud and debris from homes. They have teamed up with the Fiji Red Cross and the Islamic Development Organization to distribute clothing and shoes, bedding and mattresses, food, kitchen utensils, and school supplies in coordination with the military and under the direction of the district government.

The Fiji Scientology Volunteer Minister teams are comprised of local residents, introduced to the program in 2006 when the Scientology Volunteer Ministers South Pacific Goodwill Tour spent several months in Fiji.

The South Pacific Scientology Volunteer Ministers Tour, now in the Solomon Islands, is one of 10 teams traveling through Oceania, Asia, Latin America, Africa, Australia, Central Europe and the Indian subcontinent, dedicated to helping people in remote areas with practical help for everyday life.

Through the last 10 years, Scientology Volunteer Ministers have trained and partnered with more than 1,100 organizations, including the Red Cross, FEMA, National Guard, Salvation Army, Mexico’s International Rescue Brigade, Boy Scouts, and hundreds of local, regional and national groups and organizations, giving freely of their skills, their care and compassion. They have provided physical and spiritual relief at more than 200 disaster sites.

Today hundreds of thousands of individuals are trained in the skills of a Volunteer Minister across 185 nations. For more information on Scientology Volunteer Ministers, visit VolunteerMinisters.org.