Associated Press report, 19 March 2011: "Japanese volunteers from the Church of Scientology give what they called 'a kind of healing massage' to elderly people staying at a shelter for those whose homes were damaged by the tsunami in Kesennuma, Japan, Saturday, March 19, 2011."

Source: Daylife.com

Japanese Scientology Volunteer Ministers are active in shelters to help with transport and distribution of water, food, hygiene articles and winter clothes.

Right after the earthquakes and tsunami hit Japan our Scientology Volunteer Ministers corps in Japan and neighboring countries were activated. In the first week following the disaster over 5,000 people were helped.

Scientology Volunteer Ministers have been activated all over Japan.

Within 24 hours after the disaster, the first group of Japanese Volunteer Ministers traveled to disaster areas close to Sendai city (Miyagi region) and Shiroishi city (Watati area, still covered with water or debris) to make an initial assessment of what Volunteer Minister activities are needed in the areas affected by last Friday's earthquakes and tsunami. Four VM assessment teams visited several of the over 2,400 evacuation camps and shelters and talked to victims and officials to find out what is most needed.

As a response to the recent earthquakes in Japan and the following tsunami Scientology Volunteer Minister units in Japan, Australia and New Zealand have been activated to set up disaster response logistics and help points in the North-East of Japan as well as in Tokyo.

Gary Bromwell, Scientology Volunteer Minister

3 News TV reports:

(Christchurch, New Zealand) Along with medical staff and psychologists on the ground in Christchurch, trauma specialists have also arrived to provide stress relief.

Gary Bromwell of the Scientology International Disaster Relief Group is a trauma stress specialist who says he helps victims “come out of the trauma and back into the present so they can rebuild their lives and move on”.

Volunteer Ministers featured in Toowoomba's Chronicle with Queensland State Premier Anna Bligh and parliament member Julie Attwood

In the wake of last month's record Queensland floods, Scientology Volunteer Ministers carry on their work.The team of 40 Scientology Volunteer Ministers, recently featured in an article in Toowoomba's The Chronicle, continue helping Brisbane residents clean up after last month's record flooding. As Brisbane residents carry on restoring order to homes, businesses and schools the volunteers pitch in with whatever tasks are needed-shoveling mud, hauling trash, and providing the extra hands that make the grueling work go faster.

(PASADENA, CA) At a badge pinning ceremony held at Fire Station 34 on Del Mar Blvd in Pasadena this week parishioners and Volunteer Ministers of the Church of Scientology of Pasadena commemorated the tenth anniversary of 9/11 by donating a limited print edition of the moving watercolor titled “Unspoken Courage” by acclaimed watercolor artist POMM to the station.

Lending a hand to clean-up flood devastated Queensland are (from, left) Svetlana Zaharova, Rolands Bricis, Queensland Premier Anna Bligh, Jason Best, Peter Dunn, Julie Attwood and Jessica Plattner.

31st January 2011 | The Chronicleby Anthea Gleeson

THE Scientology Disaster Response Unit has been activated to the Lockyer Valley.

The national organisation has a database of volunteers ready, willing and able to be deployed to places in Australia, New Zealand and in the Pacific during times of crisis.