Scientology Volunteer Ministers Goodwill Tour reaches out to the people of Zagreb.

At the crossroads between Eastern and Central Europe in a country founded a mere 28 years ago but built on a rich culture and traditions dating back two millennia, a ceremony in King Tomislav square launched the Scientology Volunteer Ministers Goodwill Tour in Croatia.

Valentinovo Cultural Arts Society performed traditional Croatian dances and a ribbon-cutting ceremony officially opened the tent.

Inside, Scientology Volunteer Ministers shared the practical knowledge that forms the basis of the program, providing training and one-on-one help.

Some 20 percent of Croatia’s population is over 65, and that share is growing rapidly, with more than half of the country’s pensioners living below the poverty line.

While these problems may seem insurmountable, Scientology Volunteer Ministers live by the motto that no matter the difficulty, “something can be done about it.” And this is no exception.

The Volunteer Ministers provide training in study technology so pensioners who wish to may learn new skills, making it possible for them to compete on a much stronger basis in the workplace or helping them to embark on new projects. There are courses that enable people to overcome communication barriers, and others that provide simple techniques anyone may use to find the source of a problem and remedy it. 

The Volunteer Ministers also deliver and train others on Scientology assists—techniques developed by Scientology Founder L. Ron Hubbard that can speed healing by addressing the spiritual factors in stress and trauma.

Immediately grasping the value of the simple, practical technology of the Volunteer Ministers (VMs) for this segment of the population, representatives of several Croatian pensioners groups helped launch the tour.

During their stay in the city, the Volunteer Ministers helped more than 850 individuals and trained 250 to provide help to others.

In developing the program, Mr. Hubbard described the Volunteer Minister as “a person who helps his fellow man on a volunteer basis by restoring purpose, truth and spiritual values to the lives of others. A Volunteer Minister does not shut his eyes to the pain, evil and injustice of existence. Rather, he is trained to handle these things and help others achieve relief from them and a new personal strength as well.”

The Church of Scientology Volunteer Minister program is a religious social service created in the mid-1970s by L. Ron Hubbard. Anyone of any culture or creed may train as a Volunteer Minister and use these tools to help their families and communities. The Church provides free online training on the Volunteer Ministers website. 

Watch films based on the tools of the Volunteer Minister on the Scientology Network.