Haiti

The January 2010 earthquake destroyed most of Haiti’s already minimal infrastructure, adding obstacles to the already dauntless task faced by volunteer relief groups.

Exactly one year ago, a magnitude 7.0 earthquake struck 15 miles from Port-au-Prince, Haiti, collapsing homes, businesses, hospitals and schools, killing an estimated 200,000 and leaving some 2 million homeless.Within hours of the disaster, the Church of Scientology began mobilizing teams of Volunteer Ministers (VMs) to help. Utah travel agency owner and VM Joava Good was one of the first to respond.

Ralph Gedeon, Haiti Earthquake survivor tells his story.

At their 2010 gala event, the Haitian American Nurses Association (HANA) presented a Humanitarian Award for the Church of Scientology to Sue Taylor, National Director for the Churches of Scientology Disaster Response Team. 

Over 230 invited medical staff, religious and political leaders attended the event held by the Director of HANA Rockland County (Florida), in honor of the men and women who gave their time and expertise to help the people of Haiti following the disaster.

Volunteer Ministers from around the US boarded flights bound for Haiti while aftershocks still rocked that nation’s capital.

There were two options for the 22-year-old engineering student who found himself half-buried beneath the remnants of his college with a crushed leg: amputate or die.

Australian Volunteer Minister Peter Dunn, helping to raise the spirits of group of Haitian children

ADELAIDE—“I want to help,” says teacher Peter Dunn, 61, on why he is returning to Haiti   with the Scientology Haiti Disaster Response Team.  “As a trained Scientology Volunteer Minster I knew I could help and felt it was something I personally needed to do.”

Haitian Street Life in May 2010

Paris Morfopoulos, a Volunteer Minister and first-responder who went to Haiti for several weeks in January and February 2010, just recently returned from his second trip to Port-au-Prince. There is still a lot to do and though the news media is not reporting anymore about the help needed in Haiti, the VMs are relying on your continued support, either through the International Association of Scientologists or with skills, time and direct support! Read his report here:

Scientology Volunteer Ministers from Haiti and other nations march from the Port-au-Prince suburb of Carrefour to the city of Leogane to garner support for the next phase of Haiti relief.

Flag Day in Haiti May 18 took on new significance this year as Haitians and friends from around the world reaffirmed their commitment to rebuild the country from the January 2010 earthquake. 

Since 12 January 2010 the Scientology Volunteer Ministers have helped over 250,000 people in Haiti in 73 locations, personally, with supplies or training.

The schoolyard of the FMA (Filles de Marie-Auxiliatrice - Les Sœurs Salésiennes de Don Bosco) School in Port-au-Prince, Haiti.

In the past weeks the Mexican Scientology Volunteer Minister team in Haiti has given seminars to more than 5,000 persons and trained more than 1,000 in Assist technology. They also organized and distributed food and water to more than 10,000 persons. One of their special projects was to help re-open a big Christian school.