Alabama

Looking Back on the Past Ten Years of the Volunteer Ministers Movement—2011

Christchurch, New Zealand — February 2011: Volunteer Ministers distributed 14 tons of food and supplies and helped more than 21,000 after the earthquake.

The Scientology Volunteer Ministers who served at Ground Zero in the months following 9/11 set a standard for disaster response and inspired a movement that carried forward for the past decade.  Here is an overview of the work of Scientology Volunteer Ministers so far in 2011.

Church of Scientology Disaster Response Hosts Alabama Disaster Volunteer Appreciation Day

Alabama First Lady Diane Bentley addresses volunteers at the Alabama Disaster Volunteer Appreciation Day event.

Birmingham, Alabama—More than 200 volunteers representing thousands who helped those devastated by the April 2011 tornadoes were honored in Birmingham August 25, 2011 at a special dinner marking Alabama Disaster Volunteer Appreciation Day.Alabama First Lady Diane Bentley and Birmingham Mayor William A. Bell joined the FEMA Voluntary Agency Liaison and the Chair of Alabama VOAD (Volunteer Organizations Active in Disaster) at the podium at the WorkPlay entertainment complex in Birmingham to thank the volunteers on behalf of the people of Alabama.

Joplin Tornado Volunteers Share a Perspective —Help is the Bottom Line.

Sometimes, it’s the simple things that make the biggest difference. A Volunteer Minister who helped in the wake of the Joplin, Missouri tornado in May 2011 described how much people appreciated his willingness to do some hard work.For several hours, he and some other volunteers helped a woman dig through the wreckage of her home. She was so grateful about the dishes and glasses they salvage—these were cherished possessions that had belonged to her mother.

Joava Good - Living Up to her Good Name

Joava Good helped lead the Scientology Volunteer Ministers disaster response in Pratt City, Alabama, following the April 27, 2011, tornado.

Just returned to Utah after five weeks in Alabama on the Churches of Scientology Disaster Response following the April tornados, Scientologist Joava Good is a 35-year veteran Scientology Volunteer Minister who has helped put the program on the disaster response map.

Pratt City, Alabama, was like a war zone.

Alabama tornadoes: Bringing Help to Those Who Can't Afford It

The Churches of Scientology Disaster Response came to Birmingham to help those who most needed it, and that found them in Pratt City.

The Alabama tornadoes of April 27 caused more immediate destruction than any other disaster in the state’s recent history. But at a time when some would prefer to get as far away from the damage as possible, there is a group of volunteers who continue heading towards the rubble and debris to help those who need it most.

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