UNITED STATES – NEW YORK – SEPTEMBER 11

In December, the president of the Church of Scientology of New York received a letter from the Chief of the New York City Police, Joseph Esposito, acknowledging the work of the Volunteer Ministers at Ground Zero. The letter stated:

“As one who saw firsthand what was needed at the World Trade Center site in the days and weeks immediately after September 11th, I want to thank you, the Church of Scientology and the Volunteer Ministers of the Church of Scientology, many of whom came long distances to help us.

“The Volunteer Ministers worked with great energy and great compassion at Ground Zero, helping to ease the physical burdens, and mental strains, of the rescue workers. From the earliest days of this tragedy, until the time when volunteers were no longer needed at the site, the people of your church were there in force.

“The organization, the caring, and the dedication of your Volunteer Ministers were exceptional, and very much appreciated, and will long be remembered by those who received their help. I cannot thank the Volunteer Ministers enough.”

The New York Fire Department also sent in a letter of appreciation for the work of the Volunteer Ministers.

At the Pentagon in Washington, D.C., even when security on the site was tightened, the Scientology volunteers got special passes and continued to assist. One Pentagon official, who narrowly escaped the blast, came for a third successive night. He expressed over and over again how much he appreciated what the Volunteer Ministers were doing. Other officials came to express their thanks.

Two weeks after the attack, in Moscow, a Church staff member spoke with Russia’s Ambassador to the UN to ask him if the UN Mission’s premises in Moscow could be used for an interfaith event the Church was organizing. The Ambassador said that he had heard of the good work our people were doing in New York and assisted in the organization of the conference. On October 23, 2001, in response to a request from the head of the Red Cross Chapter in Washington, D.C., Volunteer Ministers manned the Red Cross’ Compassion Center over the weekend and every day for that week.

On September 11, 2002, Volunteer Ministers acknowledged Police and Firemen in memorial services across the United States.