Teams of Scientology Volunteer Ministers (VMs) are helping provide essential care for those affected by the worst fire season in California history.

Scientology Churches and Missions from throughout California continue to activate volunteers to help firefighters and those displaced or affected by the Camp and Wolsey fires.

More than a thousand people are still missing in Northern California. The death toll there is now 76 and nearly 150,000 acres have been burned by that fire the is now 60 percent contained.

Volunteer Ministers are providing food, water and support to firefighters and to thousands displaced and living in shelters and makeshift tent cities in parking lots. They are working with World Central Kitchen in Camarillo and Chico to prepare food and organizing and distributing supplies, clothing, food, water, hygiene kits and face masks.

Teams have been set up and trained to do “ash-outs”—help families sift through the remains of their homes to find valuables and other belongings—and this will begin once authorities give the OK for civilians to enter the burned-out areas.

They are also providing Scientology assists, techniques developed by Scientology Founder L. Ron Hubbard that help people recover from the emotional and spiritual effects of stress and trauma. After an assist, one woman who hadn’t slept since the disaster struck was relieved that she was finally able to sleep. Another described his assist as “spectacular” saying that before, he felt like he was “looking through clouds,” but now he felt energized and ready to cope with what he has to confront.

“We have put out an urgent call for more Volunteer Ministers,” says the Scientology Volunteer Ministers Disaster Response Coordinator. Anyone trained as a Volunteer Minister should contact their Scientology Church or VM headquarters at 1 (800) 435-7498.

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.