Published by the Church of Scientology International

Something CAN Be Done About It

TSUNAMI DISASTER: Volunteer Ministers brought relief to children in coastal villages across the Indian Ocean, administering a wide range of procedures known as "assists." UNITED KINGDOM TERRORIST ATTACKS: After the London bombings, Volunteer Ministers worked with police and emergency crews to restore order.

The answers to so many problems that surround us in society are as close as a local Volunteer Minister. From the sites of colossal tragedies, such as the 9/11 terrorist attacks, Australian wildfires, and Central European floods, to the daily disasters encountered in any home anywhere, Volunteer Ministers are called upon time and again to bring effective help and practical solutions to their fellow man.

The ever-growing corps of Volunteer Ministers — more than 61,000 as Freedom went to press — today spans all continents in over 150 countries. Each is trained to help people deal successfully with the upheavals of existence and to restore order, dignity, honesty and happiness to their lives.

Most people have the desire to help in such matters. Often, they don't know how. Volunteer Ministers know what to do and how to help in times of crisis. As L. Ron Hubbard, founder of the Scientology religion, described them, each is "a person who on a strictly volunteer basis helps out his fellow man by providing simple, basic counseling to people he meets to assist them in overcoming difficulties they may be having in life."

In establishing the Volunteer Ministers program in the mid-1970s, Mr. Hubbard created a broad-based movement of individuals from all walks of life dedicated to bringing practical assistance to others. By applying fundamental Scientology techniques that anyone can use, Volunteer Ministers embody the solutions-driven motto they live by: "Something CAN Be Done About It."

Their stories often emotional and epic, Volunteer Ministers have often worked, as in 2005, in the most dire of circumstances. The following pages illustrate what it means to be a Volunteer Minister and what motivates so many of them to get involved.

POST-KATRINA RESPONSE: Nearly 1,000 Volunteer Ministers aided survivors of hurricanes Katrina, Rita and Wilma, providing, among other things, food and water.

AID IN PAKISTAN AND KASHMIR: Dianetics* Assist Teams provided quake survivors help and relief from trauma, while training others to do the same; they also brought in much-needed supplies.