The Church of Scientology of Sacramento, alongside local volunteers, participated in the recent National Night Out celebration at Robla Community Park, distributing hundreds of educational booklets to more than 300 residents and community groups. The event, held annually across the nation, aims to strengthen relationships between neighbors and local law enforcement, providing a positive setting for officers, firefighters, and city officials to interact with the community.
The materials distributed were part of three international humanitarian campaigns: Foundation for a Drug-Free World, Youth for Human Rights, and The Way to Happiness. These programs are secular in nature, meaning they do not promote Scientology religious beliefs, and are offered free of charge to community leaders, educators, and law enforcement. The goal is to benefit the community through drug prevention education, human rights education, and raising moral awareness with a common-sense guide booklet.
The response from attendees was overwhelmingly positive. A local Park Ranger expressed deep gratitude for the anti-drug materials, noting that most of his emergency callouts stem from substance abuse. A Sacramento Police Officer also requested Youth for Human Rights materials to review. Representatives from the Mayor's office and City Councilmember's office met with volunteers and gathered sample materials to share with city leadership. A Sacramento school district administrator expressed strong interest in implementing the complimentary Drug-Free World Educator's Kit within 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 glad to be part of the initiative. 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!"
Each of these community campaigns was inspired by L. Ron Hubbard, whose humanitarian views center on the belief that human beings are inherently good but are held back by social ills, ignorance, and spiritual degradation. He asserted that a civilization can only survive if it uplifts its individual members and actively combats destructive forces like drug abuse, illiteracy, and human rights violations. His philosophy is built upon several core principles that dictate the scope of his secular community programs.
Hubbard viewed the act of helping others as one of the highest human pursuits. In his famous autobiographical essay, "My Philosophy," he states, "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 argued that true intelligence is measured by one's ability to help others and that a person's value to society is tied directly to their contribution to human survival.
Hubbard argued that widespread social progress is completely blocked by specific, systemic societal traps. To address these, he proposed that humanitarian efforts must focus on three critical battlegrounds: the drug epidemic, illiteracy and poor education, and moral decay. He viewed drug abuse as a primary catalyst for moral and physical decline, asserting that chemical substances destroy physical health, cloud mental clarity, and paralyze spiritual growth. He believed that the inability to study and understand causes people to become trapped in cycles of poverty and criminality, and he developed learning methodologies specifically intended to give people the tools to educate themselves out of these conditions. He also observed that as traditional values break down, societies collapse into violence and chaos, advocating for a return to practical, common-sense moral principles to restore calm and mutual trust to troubled neighborhoods.
Hubbard summarized his overarching humanitarian goal through a vision for society that is frequently cited within Scientology organizations: "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." Local Church Public Affairs Director Mike Klagenberg added that this is the vision that inspires him and all the dedicated volunteers to be a part of the solutions that society presents, such as National Night Out and these humanitarian campaigns. "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 awareness, and common-sense moral values.
