Weathering the Pandemic With the Help of the Scientology Volunteer Ministers and Crew of the Freewinds Motor Vessel

For the past three months, the Freewinds has cleaned and sanitized hundreds of schools, churches and businesses and distributed thousands of copies of educational booklets on prevention to help prevent the spread of the coronavirus in Aruba.

Aruba has a special place in the hearts of the passengers and crew of the Freewinds, who have visited the beautiful island countless times over the past three decades, each time experiencing its warmth and friendship. So it was natural to reach out to ensure Aruba weathered the coronavirus pandemic safe and sound. 

 

Knowing the importance of prevention in stopping the spread of the virus, Scientology Volunteer Ministers have cleaned and sanitized hundreds of churches, schools, healthcare centers, shelters, fire and police stations, museums, nonprofits, businesses and public facilities: more than 1 million square feet of spaces in all. 

Dressed in special decontamination gear, they first thoroughly clean each facility. They follow this by fogging the space with Decon7, the most advanced and effective agent for decontamination available. Then they wipe down all surfaces, resulting in a completely clean and sanitized environment.

 

As an expression of their “deep sense of gratitude,” the Parokia di Santa Filomena Catholic Church and the Fatima Catholic Church of Aruba each held a special mass in honor of the Volunteer Ministers one Sunday in July. The volunteers had cleaned and decontaminated both churches, making them completely safe for their parishioners.

To ensure the health of the entire island, the Volunteer Ministers distributed copies of three educational booklets: How to Keep Yourself & Others Well, How to Protect Yourself & Others with a Mask & Gloves and How to Prevent the Spread of Illness with Isolation.

Each of the booklets comes in a custom-designed box that folds into counter displays and invites people to “please take one.” On the back of the booklets, a QR code connects to the How to Stay Well Prevention Resource Center on the Scientology website, where these and other prevention materials are available in 21 languages—all free of charge. This includes brief videos illustrating the key information, making it easy to understand what a virus is, how it spreads, and the actions anyone can take to protect themselves and their families.

“I have been distributing the booklets you brought us,” said one of the shopkeepers, “The way the booklet is laid out is perfect because it is very easy to read and understand. Anybody can read this.” He also thanked them for decontaminating the school his son attends and told them he planned to visit the How to Stay Well Prevention Center online and watch the videos with his son.

“I have no words to explain the tremendous work,” wrote the director of a preschool that was sanitized by the volunteers. “The entire team was very friendly and ready to help with a big smile. I personally was very satisfied with the hygiene and security they gave us to combat this virus. It was a pleasure and I imagine that all of Aruba is extremely grateful for this beautiful work of yours.”

The Freewinds Motor Vessel is a religious retreat for Scientologists. Its position at sea is designed to provide an aesthetic, distraction-free environment off the crossroads of everyday life. As a center of spiritual enlightenment, it is a place where lives are transformed. It’s calm and friendly atmosphere comes from within, from its dedicated officers and crew.

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Distribution of educational booklets began in May in communities around Scientology Churches and Missions across the globe. The Church of Scientology International Dissemination and Distribution Center made this possible by printing and shipping out 5 million copies of Stay Well booklets.

The Church of Scientology Volunteer Ministers program is a religious social service created in the mid-1970s by Scientology Founder L. Ron Hubbard. It constitutes one of the largest and most visible international independent relief forces. A Volunteer Minister’s mandate is to be “a person who helps his fellow man on a volunteer basis by restoring purpose, truth and spiritual values to the lives of others.”

To learn more about the Freewinds, watch Inside Scientology: The Freewinds on the Scientology Network.