Meet a Scientologist—Al Adriance, Helping People Pick Up the Pieces

The meaning of the word "devastation" was brought home once again to Al Adriance. Although a disaster relief veteran who provided help after the 2007 Greensburg, Kansas, tornado, Adriance was stunned by the destruction he saw in Joplin, Missouri, in May 2011.

Los Angeles, CA (PRWEB) June 29, 2011

Al Adriance will long remember Memorial Day Weekend 2011, not for the celebrations and parties, but for what he confronted in Joplin, Missouri, after the May 23 tornado.

Learning of the disaster, the Kansas Citian left for Joplin the following morning and spent the next 10 days providing relief.

Adriance coordinated the work of a team of some 40 Scientology Volunteer Ministers who converged in Joplin from the Church of Scientology St. Louis and the Church of Scientology Kansas City, Missouri.

"Search and rescue was a monumental task because of the magnitude of the disaster," says Adriance. "So much of the city was destroyed—roofs torn off, cars overturned, entire city blocks leveled. All that was left of one house we saw was a stairwell and a closet. "

They set up their big yellow Volunteer Ministers tent and began providing Scientology assists—procedures developed by L. Ron Hubbard that address the spiritual and emotional effects of trauma, to help people recover from the stress and injury.

"Everyone was under pressure and physical strain. Search and rescue and cleanup activities are physically exhausting and can be extremely draining emotionally," he says. "We delivered Scientology assists to hundreds of people who came through the tent in a steady stream—residents, other volunteers, administrators, caregivers, police and fire fighters. People felt so much better after their assists that the word of mouth spread fast—we were always busy."