The Church of Scientology of Sacramento and local volunteers participated in Robla Community Park's National Night Out celebration, distributing hundreds of educational booklets to over 300 residents and community groups. The initiative showcased three international humanitarian campaigns: Foundation for a Drug-Free World, Youth for Human Rights, and The Way to Happiness. These programs are secular, designed to benefit the community without promoting religious beliefs, and are provided free to community leaders, educators, and law enforcement.
National Night Out is an annual nationwide community-policing campaign that strengthens relationships between neighbors and local law enforcement. Police officers, firefighters, and city officials attend these gatherings to engage with residents in a positive, relaxed setting. The volunteers' presence at Robla Community Park allowed them to interact directly with attendees, including families, law enforcement, and civic leaders.
The community response 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 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. Additionally, 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 event. 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 humanitarian L. Ron Hubbard, whose philosophy emphasizes the inherent goodness of human beings and the need to combat social ills such as drug abuse, illiteracy, and human rights violations. Hubbard believed that helping others is a high human pursuit, stating 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 advocated for addressing systemic traps like the drug epidemic, poor education, and moral decay, envisioning "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, Local Church Public Affairs Director, added that this vision inspires him and the dedicated volunteers to be part of solutions like National Night Out. "We can build better and more vibrant communities together," he said. 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, using educational booklets, public service announcements, and community workshops to promote sobriety, human rights awareness, and common-sense moral values.
