MILAN, Italy, March 19, 2024 (SEND2PRESS NEWSWIRE) — A World Civil Defense Day seminar for first responders at the Church of Scientology of Milano shared unique and simple technology for helping relieve the emotional and spiritual trauma that can affect disaster victims long after the incident is over. Studies show that not knowing how to help victims deal with these needs can take a toll on emergency response personnel: Their concerns over their ability to help can be a factor in burnout.
ATHENS, Greece, March 19, 2024 (SEND2PRESS NEWSWIRE) — In September 2023, Julia, a Scientology Volunteer Minister from Athens, reached out offering help to her friend Mariza in Volos, Greece. The city, some 200 miles away, was all but destroyed by Storm Daniel. Julia assembled a team and traveled some 200 miles to the coastal port city.
GAUTENG, South Africa, and LOS ANGELES, Calif., March 16, 2024, (SEND2PRESS NEWSWIRE) — Councillor Sibongile Soxuza, deeply troubled by the pervasive issues of domestic abuse, drug addiction, poverty, corruption and crime within her communities, recognized the urgent need for action. As speaker of the council, responsible for nearly a million residents, she took a personal stand to effect change. Seeking a program that could deliver tangible results, she turned to the Scientology Volunteer Ministers life skills training program.
SAN ANTONIO, Texas, and LOS ANGELES, Calif., March 16, 2024 (SEND2PRESS NEWSWIRE) — Born in Iraq in 1974, Haetham Abdul-Razaq was 6 when war broke out between his country and Iran. “One common and fundamental principle is crucial to the well-being and prosperity of people, as well as the protection of their dignity, differences and ability,” Abdul-Razaq said in an interview with United for Human Rights.
VIENNA, Austria, and LOS ANGELES, Calif., March 14, 2024 (SEND2PRESS NEWSWIRE) — Civil Defense Day is marked every year on March 1st. It is a time to share information that can help shield individuals and property from natural disasters, accidents, and other crises. Trained in technology developed by Scientology Founder L. Ron Hubbard, Scientology Volunteer Ministers have helped countless victims recover from the emotional and spiritual stress and trauma of disaster.
LOS ANGELES, Calif., March 14, 2024 (SEND2PRESS NEWSWIRE) — According to a February 2024 Gallup Poll, fewer than 50 percent of Americans are “very satisfied” with how things are going in their personal lives. With the International Day of Happiness approaching, Scientology Churches everywhere are opening their doors to the community to share The Way to Happiness, a booklet that can spell the difference between happiness and despair.
LOS ANGELES, Calif., March 13, 2024 (SEND2PRESS NEWSWIRE) — While Scientologists across the globe celebrate L Ron Hubbard’s birthday today, they are joined by millions more who honor him for the humanitarian activities he inspired and his impact on their lives. In his famous essay, “My Philosophy,” L. Ron Hubbard wrote “I like to help others and count it as my greatest pleasure in life to see a person free himself of the shadows which darken his days.”
MIAMI, Fla., and LOS ANGELES, Calif., March 12, 2024 (SEND2PRESS NEWSWIRE) — America’s emergency response personnel are heroes. They are dedicated to saving property and lives. But there is another factor in disaster relief: the ongoing spiritual and emotional consequences of disasters to both first responders and victims. Scientology Volunteer Ministers reached out at Disasters Expo USA 2024 in Miami March 6 and 7 to share simple techniques anyone may learn to help with this “human factor” that is so crucial to the quality of life.
SYDNEY, Australia, and LOS ANGELES, Calif., March 9, 2024 (SEND2PRESS NEWSWIRE) — The Church of Scientology Advanced Organization in Sydney, Australia, hosted the “Thanking Festival” of the Australian Multicultural Arts & Values (AMAV) that honored 48 community groups for their outstanding service to the community. In addition to the awards presentation, guests learned to apply first aid skills such as CPR and the care of injuries.
CANBERRA, Australian Capital Territory, and LOS ANGELES, Calif., March 6, 2024 (SEND2PRESS NEWSWIRE) — Australia’s 26th annual Canberra National Multicultural Festival brought together more than 170 diverse communities to share their customs, history, and heritage through food, art, song and dance. But while Australians today pride themselves on diversity and inclusion, this was not always the case. And ingrained bias and prejudice can die hard. This is why volunteers from the Church of Scientology brought their human rights education initiative to the festival.
AUSTIN, Texas and LOS ANGELES, Calif., March 5, 2024 (SEND2PRESS NEWSWIRE) — The dedication of the new Ideal Scientology Church in Austin, Texas, was the first in a series of stunning new Scientology Churches to open in 2024, and it embodies the spirit of unabated growth that has become the hallmark of Scientology today. Mr. David Miscavige, ecclesiastical leader of the Scientology religion, welcomed Lone Star State Scientologists and the purpose and pride they embodied in accomplishing this milestone.
LOS ANGELES, Calif., Feb. 29, 2024 (SEND2PRESS NEWSWIRE) — Firefighters are in the business of saving lives. These are the men and women who provide fire prevention and rescue. They battle the blazes throughout the city and the notorious Los Angeles brushfires and wildfires. They are also the ambulance drivers, EMTs and paramedics who provide emergency medical response. And they do so day and night every day of the year. Hollywood Village is a partnership between the Church of Scientology, The Way to Happiness Foundation, the Los Angeles Police Department, local businesses, and numerous faith-based and neighborhood groups.
NEW ORLEANS, La., and LOS ANGELES, Calif., Feb. 28, 2024 (SEND2PRESS NEWSWIRE) — Protesters demonstrated outside the American College of Psychiatrists Convention at the Marriott New Orleans last week, demanding psychiatrists immediately cease using ECT (electroconvulsive treatment). Some 100,000 Americans are subjected to ECT every year, making its use a multibillion-dollar industry. Citizens Commission on Human Rights (CCHR) organized the demonstration. CCHR, a mental health watchdog founded in 1969 by the Church of Scientology and professor of psychiatry Dr. Thomas Szasz, says ECT sends 460 volts of electricity through the brain causing a grand mal seizure.
SEATTLE, Wash., and LOS ANGELES, Calif., Feb. 27, 2024 (SEND2PRESS NEWSWIRE) — Whether responding to disasters or caring for the needs of underserved communities, Seattle nonprofits, churches and volunteer groups provide vital services to the city. The Church of Scientology of Seattle hosted an open house in support of Washington Voluntary Organizations Active in Disaster (WAVOAD) and local nonprofits that respond to these needs.
MIDRAND, South Africa, and LOS ANGELES, Calif., Feb. 24, 2024 (SEND2PRESS NEWSWIRE) — Through a series of seminars at Castle Kyalami in Midrand, South Africa, the Scientology Volunteer Ministers are empowering employees of the Gauteng Department of Health. These healthcare workers, in their bright green uniforms, have become known as the province’s “Green Angels,” because they, along with staff of affiliated chaplaincy and faith-based organizations who also attended the training, put their lives on the line to help others.
CAMBRIDGE, Ontario, and LOS ANGELES, Calif., Feb. 23, 2024 (SEND2PRESS NEWSWIRE) — “I really liked the aura and environment of today’s event,” said one woman who attended the Interfaith Harmony Week event at the Church of Scientology Cambridge. “I learned new skills of effective communication and I will use what I learned for my personal development.”
CUIABA, Brazil, and LOS ANGELES, Calif., Feb. 22, 2024 (SEND2PRESS NEWSWIRE) — Growing up surrounded by gangs, crime, and violence that plagued his neighborhood in Cuiabá, Brazil, in the ’80s and ’90s, Diogenes Luiz de Oliveira tried to escape from that life by using and trafficking drugs. Now, he uses his own story and the drug education materials of Foundation for a Drug-Free World to help keep kids out of the trap that consumed and nearly destroyed his life.
BUDAPEST, Hungary, and LOS ANGELES, Calif., Feb. 20, 2024 (SEND2PRESS NEWSWIRE) — When it became clear that the children of the town of Gyulaj were going hungry, Roma community leader István Szatmári took action. While he continues working to handle the underlying cause of the problem-improving education and job training opportunities – Szatmári knew who to turn to for immediate help. He called on the Volunteer Ministers of the Church of Scientology of Budapest.
QUITO, Ecuador, and LOS ANGELES, Calif., Feb. 20, 2024 (SEND2PRESS NEWSWIRE) — Built on the foundations of an ancient Incan city on the equator – the “center of the world” – named a UNESCO World Heritage Site for its art, cultural treasures and architectural marvels, Quito is a thriving metropolis of breathtaking beauty and year-round sunshine. And on February 17, the city added another distinction to its profile with the opening of the first Ideal Church of Scientology Mission in Ecuador.
LONDON, England and LOS ANGELES, Calif., Feb. 17, 2024 (SEND2PRESS NEWSWIRE) — “Psychiatrists have been editing childhood and adolescence out of existence,” said Brian Daniels, Executive Director of Citizens Commission on Human Rights (CCHR) for the UK, in an open letter written for Children’s Mental Health Week. CCHR is a mental health watchdog founded in 1969 by the Church of Scientology and psychiatrist Thomas Szasz to protect individuals from abusive or coercive practices in the field of mental health.
CATANIA, Italy, and LOS ANGELES, Calif., Feb. 14, 2024 (SEND2PRESS NEWSWIRE) — What could be more appropriate for Valentine’s Day than true love and chocolate? The Scientology Network shares the story of Armando Siracusano and Gabriella Comis – from their falling in love at a bakery to the many barriers they had to overcome on their way to creating the future of their dreams.
LAS VEGAS, Nev., and LOS ANGELES, Calif., Feb. 14, 2024 (SEND2PRESS NEWSWIRE) — Volunteers from Las Vegas, Los Angeles, and Scientology Churches and Missions across the Southwest gathered at the Church of Scientology Las Vegas February 10 on the eve of Super Bowl LVIII to take on the drug epidemic affecting the city and the nation. According to the Southern Nevada Health District, 2023 saw a record 237 deaths in the region from fentanyl overdose.
NEW YORK, N.Y. and LOS ANGELES, Calif., Feb. 13, 2024 (SEND2PRESS NEWSWIRE) — February 9-14 is Fashion Week in New York. The event takes place twice a year, in February and September. It begins in New York and moves on to London, Milan and Paris. This is a week where careers can be made or broken. The world’s top designers present their new collections in a series of runway shows. But who takes care of the last-minute crises to ensure a brand’s success? In an episode of Meet a Scientologist on the Scientology Network, master pleater George Kalajian gives us a look behind the scenes.
WASHINGTON, D.C., and LOS ANGELES, Calif., Feb. 13, 2024 (SEND2PRESS NEWSWIRE) — “The challenges to religious freedom across the globe are structural, systemic, and deeply entrenched,” said U.S. Secretary of State Mr. Antony Blinken in a statement January 4. “But with thoughtful, sustained commitment from those who are unwilling to accept hatred, intolerance, and persecution as the status quo we will one day see a world where all people live with dignity and equality.” It is just such a sustained commitment that informed the annual IRF Summit January 30 and 31, 2024. The Church of Scientology supports and participates in the annual summit and programs that protect and advance this vital freedom for all.
KANSAS CITY, Mo. and LOS ANGELES, Calif., Feb. 10, 2024 (SEND2PRESS NEWSWIRE) — Friends of many faiths from across the city gathered downtown at the Church of Scientology Kansas City last week for a special celebration of World Interfaith Harmony Week, set aside by the UN each year to promote harmony between all people regardless of faith. The event included a screening of the new documentary Operation: Do Something About It, which features a segment on the Kansas City Church at a time when cooperation and help were vital to the people of the city.
KAOHSIUNG, Taiwan and LOS ANGELES, Calif., Feb. 8, 2024 (SEND2PRESS NEWSWIRE) — The Church of Scientology of Kaohsiung extends wishes to all for a Happy New Year in the Year of the Dragon. The holiday is celebrated for 15 days, beginning February 10. Church staff invite everyone to join them as Destination: Scientology, Kaohsiung takes viewers through the colorful pageantry of the final day of the New Year’s holiday – the city’s Festival of Lights: a 3,000-year-old tradition.
LOS ANGELES, Calif., Feb. 8, 2024 (SEND2PRESS NEWSWIRE) — Scientology Network announces an original feature-length documentary, “Operation: Do Something About It,” now airing on DIRECTV Channel 320 and available to stream. The documentary tells the story of how the Church of Scientology harnessed its state-of-the-art facilities, rallied its worldwide network of volunteers and mobilized the largest humanitarian effort in its history to bring hope, help and compassion in the wake of the unimaginable.
LOS ANGELES, Calif., Feb. 7, 2024 (SEND2PRESS NEWSWIRE) — According to a Harris Poll survey of more than 2,000 U.S. adults, pizza is America’s favorite food. So, in honor of National Pizza Day, celebrated each year on February 9th, you are invited to enjoy a slice with your favorite topping while the Scientology Network serves up an episode of Meet a Scientologist, featuring Jim Johnson, who turned pizza into a way of life.
SOSHANGUVE, South Africa and LOS ANGELES, Calif., Feb. 7, 2024 (SEND2PRESS NEWSWIRE) — “I couldn’t just stand by idly while the many children in my community lost hope in education,” says Juliette Mfomadi, principal of Kamogelo Daycare in Soshanguve, South Africa. Deeply concerned about the dropout rate and struggling pupils in her community, she searched for solutions and found the learner support program offered by the Scientology Volunteer Ministers.
LOS ANGELES, Calif., Feb. 6, 2024 (SEND2PRESS NEWSWIRE) — In an era of increased polarization, rising hate crimes, and social and economic challenges affecting all segments of society, religious leaders gathered at the Church of Scientology to review how religions can work together to improve the quality of life for their congregations and the greater community.
LOS ANGELES, Calif., Feb. 3, 2024 (SEND2PRESS NEWSWIRE) — Many men and women who emigrate from Mexico to America do so not only for the promise of a better life for themselves and their children. They leave to help support families left behind with the dream of one day reuniting under better circumstances either at home or in their adopted country. But in many cases, this means families are separated for decades.
PARIS, France, and LOS ANGELES, Calif., Feb. 1, 2024 (SEND2PRESS NEWSWIRE) — Despite one of the most restrictive drug policies in Europe, France has the highest use of cocaine and second-highest use of cannabis in Europe according to a March 2023 report by the French Observatory of Drugs and Addictive Trends (OFDT). But in Paris, drug-prevention volunteers of the Church of Scientology believe drug education can radically change this trend for the better. They are ramping up their Dites Non à la Drogue (Say No to Drugs) campaign to help youth create a better future for themselves.
TAMPA, Fla., and LOS ANGELES, Calif., Jan. 31, 2024 (SEND2PRESS NEWSWIRE) — January is National Human Trafficking Prevention Month and Florida is the third-busiest hub for child sex trafficking in the United States. Tampa-based activist Christopher King, United for Human Rights Florida Executive Director and Founder of the nonprofit The Gentlemen’s Course, works to protect youth from being trafficked. How he came to take on this mission is documented in an episode of Voices for Humanity on the Scientology Network.
LOS ANGELES, Calif., and MELBOURNE, Australia, Jan. 30, 2024 (SEND2PRESS NEWSWIRE) — In a city obsessed with sport, what could be a better location for a Church of Scientology than the original home of the first Aussie rules football team and the site of the first game that team ever played? That is exactly where the Ideal Church of Scientology was dedicated by Scientology ecclesiastical leader Mr. David Miscavige on January 29, 2011.
LOS ANGELES, Calif., and SEATTLE, Wash., Jan. 29, 2024 (SEND2PRESS NEWSWIRE) — Sean Burke’s passion is helping others. A lifelong volunteer and a Scientologist since 1987, during the pandemic he worked with a nonprofit formed by top ICU doctors, sharing information on how to properly treat COVID in the hospital and at home. But this year, he decided to focus on another pandemic: The spiraling drug crisis that is affecting youth throughout America.
BRUSSELS, Belgium, and LOS ANGELES, Calif., Jan. 27, 2024 (SEND2PRESS NEWSWIRE) — Marc Bromberg, a Nonagenarian Scientologist, was 9 when France surrendered to the German forces in June 1940, and 10 when he and his mother were separated from his father. Two years ago, on International Holocaust Remembrance Day, January 27, in an article in the European Times, Bromberg shared his memories of life under Nazi occupation all those many years ago.
LOS ANGELES, Calif., Jan. 25, 2024 (SEND2PRESS NEWSWIRE) — When Scoutmaster Marcos Antonio Correia Santos Jr. Googled the question “Is there a way to happiness?” the answer not only changed his own life, it led to a new international movement within Scouting. At the celebration of the 39th anniversary of the International Association of Scientologists, Chief Marcos’ story was presented as a stellar example of the impact of The Way to Happiness, the common-sense guide to better living written by L. Ron Hubbard.
LOS ANGELES, Calif., Jan. 24, 2024 (SEND2PRESS NEWSWIRE) — The mangled frame of a silver sedan gleams under the overhead lights in a local body shop, a testament to human capacity for error. Replacing crumpled fenders and shattered windshields is a body shop’s stock in trade, but the owners know these broken cars aren’t just metal and plastic. So when volunteers from Bridge Publications approached body shop owners and managers about displaying sets of The Truth About Drugs from the drug education initiative supported by the Church of Scientology, it not only piqued their interest, it gave them a way to save lives.
LOS ANGELES, Calif. and BUGARAMA, Rwanda, Jan. 23, 2024 (SEND2PRESS NEWSWIRE) — Rwanda evokes images of a tragic past marked by ethnic violence. But educator and human rights activist Ladislas Yassin Nkundabanyanga is determined to ensure a peaceful future for the country. He partners with Youth for Human Rights, an educational initiative supported by the Church of Scientology, to protect future generations and create a better life for all.
LOS ANGELES, Calif., Jan. 22, 2024 (SEND2PRESS NEWSWIRE) — It was just under a year ago on February 6, that a 7.8-magnitude earthquake slashed through southeastern Turkey near the Syrian border. According to the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR), the earthquake displaced or disrupted the lives of 15.73 million people in Syria and Turkey including 2.5 million children. Scientology Volunteer Minister disaster response specialists from Tel Aviv mobilized immediately and were soon joined by VMs from Pakistan, India and the United States.
