Torino, Italy—The Mayor of Torino, Sergio Chiamparino, honored ten civil protection associations that aided the people of L’Aquila and surrounding villages following the 6.3 magnitude earthquake that struck the area leaving 1,500 injured, an estimated 28,000 homeless and 300 dead. Among those recognized was the Scientology Community Civil Protection Association (PRO.CIVI.COS) composed of 170 volunteers who contributed more than 35,000 man-hours in service to the community.

The Scientology volunteers personally took on the supervision and running of several of the camps themselves, caring for every aspect of the physical needs and trauma relief or “spiritual first-aid” of those under their care.

PRO.CIVI.COS is part of the Scientology Volunteer Ministers Corps, an embracive program of the Church of Scientology to provide community service, disaster relief and emergency response. Created more than 30 years ago by Scientology Founder L. Ron Hubbard, the program has expanded to 203,000 Volunteer Ministers worldwide who have served at 126 worst-case disaster sites, including Ground Zero after 9/11, the Southeast Asia tsunami and Hurricane Katrina.