Scientology Volunteer Ministers and Their Partners Provide Urgently Needed Help to Victims of the Rio Grande do Sul Disaster

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.”