The Church of Scientology of Sacramento and local volunteers recently participated in the National Night Out celebration at Robla Community Park, distributing hundreds of educational booklets to over 300 attendees. The effort highlighted three international humanitarian campaigns: Foundation for a Drug-Free World, Youth for Human Rights, and The Way to Happiness. These secular programs, which do not promote Scientology religious beliefs, are offered free to community leaders, educators, and law enforcement to support drug prevention education, human rights awareness, and moral guidance.
National Night Out is an annual community-policing initiative designed to strengthen ties between neighbors and local law enforcement. During the event, police officers, firefighters, and city officials mingled with residents in a relaxed setting. Volunteers engaged with approximately 300 participants, including families, law enforcement, and city representatives. The response was notably positive: a local park ranger expressed gratitude for the anti-drug materials, citing that most of his emergency calls stem from substance abuse. A Sacramento Police officer requested Youth for Human Rights materials for review. Representatives from the mayor's office and a city councilmember's office gathered samples to share with city leadership. Additionally, a Sacramento school district administrator showed keen interest in implementing the Drug-Free World Educator's Kit in local schools.
Christina DiGuilio, head of the Youth for Human Rights Sacramento Chapter, and Don Pearson, leading the United for Human Rights Sacramento Chapter, were pleased to participate. DiGuilio remarked, "National Night Out was a fantastic opportunity to bring Youth for Human Rights to the community! Human rights are foundational to interpersonal relationships at every level of society. From individual neighbors to neighborhoods, cities, states and beyond, respect is priceless. Self-respect, respect for each person and each person's rights are necessary to build caring and supportive relationships and networks. We were thrilled to be part of the national night out movement!"
These campaigns are inspired by L. Ron Hubbard, whose humanitarian philosophy emphasizes that human beings are inherently good but hindered by social ills, ignorance, and spiritual decline. He believed a civilization can thrive only by uplifting its members and combating destructive forces like drug abuse, illiteracy, and human rights violations. Hubbard's principles include the fundamental value of helping others, as he wrote in his essay "My Philosophy": "I like to help others and count it as my greatest pleasure in life to see a person free himself of the shadows that darken his days." He also stressed eradicating environmental barriers, focusing on the drug epidemic, illiteracy, and moral decay. His vision was "A civilization without insanity, without criminals and without war, where the able can prosper and honest beings can have rights, and where Man is free to rise to greater heights."
Mike Klagenberg, Public Affairs Director of the local church, echoed this vision, saying it inspires volunteers to be part of solutions like National Night Out. "It is very fulfilling and fills one with a sense of purpose and value to those around them. We can build better and more vibrant communities together."
The Foundation for a Drug-Free World, Youth for Human Rights International, and The Way to Happiness are international secular campaigns sponsored by the Church of Scientology. They use educational booklets, public service announcements, and community workshops to promote sobriety, human rights, and moral values. For more information, visit Drug-Free World, Youth for Human Rights, and The Way to Happiness.
