The summer of 2007 was one of hardship and fear for many in Greece, because of the forest fires that decimated the Peloponnese peninsula—the southernmost part of the mainland. So, when Prime Minister Karamanlis called a State of Emergency to deal with the fires that destroyed 177,265 hectares (438,040 acres) of land, a corps of Greek Scientology Volunteer Ministers took off for the region to back up the fire fighters and the 1,000 military personnel who were activated to deal with the catastrophe.
 | Scientology Volunteer Ministers of Greece responded to Prime Minister Karamanlis's declaration of a State of Emergency When fires destroyed nearly 700 square miles (some 1800 square km) of the Peloponnesian peninsula. |
The Volunteer Ministers (VMs) set up in villages in a rural district called Ilea, which was among the areas that suffered the worst damage and casualties.
They began by transporting supplies to the destroyed villages. Goods were arriving faster than they could be distributed, so the VMs helped organize this effort and coordinated with other humanitarian groups and volunteers to get the food, water, clothes and other supplies into the hands of the people.
 | The Volunteer Ministers coordinated with other humanitarian groups and volunteers to get the needed help to the people of the region. |
Visiting village after village, the Volunteer Ministers went into the houses, meeting places and village squares and provided what people wanted most—someone to listen, and help them work out solutions to the problems that faced them. Along with the spiritual first aid they provided in the form of Scientology assists*, this compassion was probably the most important thing the VMs added to the relief effort.
 | The Volunteer Ministers traveled throughout the rural district called Ilea, which was among the areas that suffered the worst damage and casualties from this summer's forest fires. |
These Greek Scientologists personified the qualities of the
Volunteer Minister as described by L. Ron Hubbard in these terms: "If one does not like the crime, cruelty, injustice and violence of this society, he can do something about it. He can become a VOLUNTEER MINISTER and help civilize it, bring it conscience and kindness and love and freedom from travail by instilling into it trust, decency, honesty and tolerance."
 | Their compassion was probably the most important thing the Scientology Volunteer Ministers added to the relief effort. |
* Scientology assists are procedures developed by L. Ron Hubbard, founder of the Scientology religion, that help people overcome the mental and spiritual aspect of trauma, accidents and injuries and speed recovery. Many of these assists can be found online on the Scientology Handbook web site.
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