Australia

Scientology Volunteer Ministers went door-to-door in fire-devastated areas after the October 2013 bushfires, making sure those affected have access to the help they need.

A team of Scientology Volunteer Ministers have been assisting firefighters and emergency response personnel who are contending with the worst bushfires to affect New South Wales, Australia, in the past half century.The bushfires began October 13. By the 18th, 100 fires were raging.  Two days later, New South Wales Premier Barry O’Farrell declared a state of emergency.  Nearly 250 houses and other structures have been destroyed.

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.

Scientologist Churlya Wurfel (far left) trained nurses in Indonesia on Scientology assist technology after a 2009 earthquake

Scientologist Churlya Wurfel is determined to make Scientology assist technology broadly available to those in need. 

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.

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.

(Brisbane, Australia) Volunteer Ministers (VMs) from Australia and the United States are coming together in Brisbane to aid the victims of flooding in the north eastern part of the country.   

In late December 2010 and early January 2011, three quarters of the state of Queensland was inundated by rainfall so heavy it occurs only once in every 100 years. The resultant floods have caused an estimated 1 billion Australian dollars in damage.

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.”

Scientology Volunteer Minister, Peter Dunn, from Adelaide, Australia, with a woman who is much happier after he helped her with a Scientology assist.

Scientologist Peter Dunn, from Adelaide, Australia, flew to Haiti in the first days after the earthquake.  He is there for the long run.  A highly trained Scientologist who has worked as a staff member of the Church of Scientology for 30 years, Dunn’s first task once there was to help in the hospitals providing any needed support for the doctors.  With the most immediate medical situations now under control, he is providing one-on-one help using Volunteer Ministers techniques that address trauma, stress and loss.  He is also training others.