California is on fire, and Scientology naturally sees a golden recruiting opportunity

 
Rod Keller has another sobering look at what Scientology’s “Volunteer Ministers” are really up to…

The Carr fire has been burning in Northern California since July 25. It’s a large and destructive fire, and despite the work of thousands of firefighters it’s no more than 37 percent contained. Redding, California remains at risk with more than 90,000 residents. For Scientology the fire is an opportunity to put on the yellow Volunteer Minister T-shirts and head north. As we have seen during the Hurricane Harvey recovery and more recently in Manchester, England the VMs are promoted as one of the most important disaster response teams on the planet. And as with previous disasters the VMs are gathering donated supplies at the last minute rather than prepare supplies in advance as major relief agencies do.

CARR FIRE UPDATE — VM’s have sprung into action up in Redding with VM In-Charge for Western US leading a team from Sacramento and Chico. The VM tent is set up in right next to Incident Command. VM’s are working with a local church to bring in and distribute relief supplies for people who’ve lost homes or been displaced.

Local So Cal VMs have been bringing donations to So Cal VM HQ and the first wave of VMs from Los Angeles are leaving today to help in Nor Cal. 25 VMs are needed IMMEDIATELY from the LA area to go up to the Carr fire. We also need donations (supplies and cash) and people willing to drive up north.

Donations needed include:
– Pre-packaged non-perishable food (protein bars, beef jerky, etc.)
– Hygiene kits with toothbrush, toothpaste, soap, washcloth, tampons, shampoo, hair brush, etc.
– Work gloves
– Water
– Instant Coffee
– Paper Plates and plastic utensils
– New Clean Socks
– Diapers and wipes
– New toys for kids

The VM Tent is set up in front of Church of Scientology of Los Angeles to collect donations. Contact Betsy 323-953-3200 or Damian 213-514-2651 for info on donations and how to go help.

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CARR FIRE STATS
115,538 acres burned
35% contained
Evacuations: 38,000 affected
Structures destroyed: 1465 (1,018 residences, 12 commercial structures, 435 outbuildings)
Structures damaged: 248 (181 residences, 6 commercial structures and 61 outbuildings)
Fatalities: 2 firefighter, 4 civilians (1 person missing, down from 20)
Cause: Mechanical Failure of Vehicle
Total Fire Personnel: 4,151
Total Fire Engines: 366
Total Fire Aircraft: 17 helicopters and numerous fixed wing aircraft

VMs are gathering at the Chico Mission before driving to Redding to deliver their snacks and hygiene items. We have been unable to verify if they have been provided access to any command centers when they arrive. VMs have come to Chico from Los Angeles, San Francisco, and Sacramento in their distinctive yellow vans. We think there are two from LA, and one each from San Francisco and Sacramento. The call has gone out for drivers with vans to volunteer to carry more VMs to the area.

 
VMs need money for gasoline, but this fundraiser on Facebook hasn’t come close to its goal. Even $2,000 wouldn’t bring many vans from LA to the Chico. The need for donations will only increase if the VMs follow through on their plan to bring 500 VMs to the area. The dozens that have come so far are being housed at the mission or at the homes of local Scientologists. 500 VMs will compete with the thousands of evacuees for sleeping arrangements, but there seems to be no plan for that.

 
As usual for the VMs, it’s all last-minute arrangements, urgent calls for donations lacking preparation or coordination. It’s not supposed to be that way. Scientologists are told that their donations to the International Association of Scientologists (IAS) are used to fund VM relief efforts. If that were true they could prepare in advance for the fire season in California. The Carr fire is worse than most, but there will be fires and evacuees every summer, and the disasters will only get worse as the population increases in formerly wilderness areas of Northern California.

 
The International Association of Scientologists raises money for a variety of causes such as Ideal Orgs, but also for VM “emergency response teams.” In reality there are no teams. All you need to join is your yellow shirt. There are no pre-positioned supplies such as the Red Cross keeps. There is no money being spent in advance by the IAS to supply and train teams of VMs. The VMs either pay for everything themselves, or rely on public Scientologists calling in with their credit card.

RE: DONATING THINGS FOR THE CARR FIRE on the ground VM’s and fire victims.

Honestly – the list of what items are needed changes by the minute so the VERY BEST way to help is to make charitable donation of just plain old $$$ via Riverpark Mission and then we convert to cash that they can use to shop with on the ground and get what is needed. We also use for gasoline to and fro AND to help defray costs of sleeping arrangements for out of town volunteers. etc etc etc..

So if you want to put it on a credit card – call Callie Daly – treas sec xxx-xxx-xxxx . IF SHE DOESN’T IMMEDIATELY ANSWER – leave her your name as a TEXT message and that you are calling about disaster relief donation. IF SHE DOESN’T CALL YOU RIGHT BACK .. then do the SAME with ME Tree Nebeker – xxx-xxx-xxxx. ONE of us will be back to you within 15 minutes of your text. We are experiencing heavy traffic as you can imagine, but your energy in the form of $$ is very welcome.

There are a multitude of important uses it is going to immediately … so flow away!! Other option – is to order certain things via amazon – and have it shipped to the Chico Mission – but if you do that message me first so I can give you the details as to what really is wanted and address etc.

We will see if 500 well-meaning VMs really arrive in Chico. It seems unlikely given the scale of past disasters. If they do arrive this relief effort may turn from a last minute scramble to a fiasco of poorly supplied volunteers, as we saw in Puerto Rico following Hurricane Maria. The VMs are not one of the largest independent relief forces on earth. They respond to the immediate disaster rather than prepare for the next or the one after that. That makes them slow and inefficient. They exist primarily for public relations, “extending the gift of Scientology itself” and to allow Scientology to deflect allegations of abuse by pointing to the good works of the VMs.

 
— Rod Keller

 
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MEANWHILE, AT FACEBOOK…

 
Please join us at the Underground Bunker’s Facebook discussion group for more frivolity.

 
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Posted by Tony Ortega on August 5, 2018 at 07:00

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