Photo Series

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:

Areas affected by the February 27 earthquake.

In the early hours of the 27 February 2010 a 8.8 magnitude earthquake rocked Chile. The main shock created a tsunami that killed hundreds of people and affected more than 2 million in various cities and towns of this country. The city that was mainly affected was Concepción, the second largest city in the country which is about 280 miles from Santiago, the capital city of Chile. The Scientology Volunteer Ministers network mobilized Chilean Volunteer Ministers in Santiago and Rancagua, a city about 200 miles north-east of Concepción.

Since the disaster hit Haiti on 12 January 2010 over 300 Scientology Volunteer Ministers from 22 countries got active and continue to help the Haitian population - every day.

    In the first week following the Haiti earthquake the Church of Scientology Volunteer Minister corps has mobilized and safely transported more than 350 rescue and medical professionals and Volunteer Ministers to Haiti. Donations for about 40 tons of food and medicine were raised and the supplies were brought into Haiti for distribution, in coordination with the United Nations. Within ten days over 100 Volunteer Ministers were working in Haiti.

The Volunteer Ministers began unloading the ship April 30 at 11 am and carried on till noon the following day.

The "Lifeboat for Haiti" arrived in Port-au-Prince in April 2010, loaded with tons of supplies--everything from MREs (meals ready to eat) to crutches, medicine, cooking-stoves and an ambulance.  All the supplies were donated by charities and everything is being distributed to charities in Haiti including schools, orphanages, hospitals and clinics. The Scientology Volunteer Ministers in the USA and Haiti who had organized the ship and more than 100 tons of donations welcomed the ship at a private dock in Haiti.

The Hornbeam at the dock in Port-au-Prince, Haiti.

The "Lifeboat for Haiti" arrived in Port-au-Prince today.  It is loaded with tons of supplies--everything from MREs (meals ready to eat) to crutches, medicine, cooking-stoves and an ambulance.  All the supplies were donated by charities and everything is being distributed to charities in Haiti including schools, orphanages, hospitals and clinics. 

The entire team of Scientology Volunteer Ministers will be unloading and distributing the supplies tomorrow.

A Volunteer Minister training a Haitian police officer in communication skills.

With the immediate medical emergency over, the Scientology Volunteer Ministers have expanded their delivery of other services. They are concentrating on training the people of Haiti in simple tools to improve conditions in life.

Over the past few weeks Scientology Volunteer Ministers in Haiti have trained more than 8,000 Haitians.

In founding the Scientology Volunteer Ministers program, L. Ron Hubbard published an article called “Religious Influence in Society,” in which he wrote:

Two Volunteer Ministers at an orphanage in Haiti.

Before the earthquake there were estimates of over 300,000 orphans in Haiti. There is no way to accurately estimate how many there are now, but it is a tremendous social problem.

The Scientology Volunteer Ministers visit orphanages, bringing food and supplies. Every VM who does so comes back with the same impression--the children of Haiti are amazing. Despite what they have been through they are so resilient, so open and so spiritual. They deserve all possible help.

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.