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 secular programs, which do not promote Scientology religious beliefs, are offered free of charge to community leaders, educators, and law enforcement to support drug prevention, human rights education, and moral awareness.
National Night Out is an annual nationwide community-policing campaign designed to strengthen relationships between neighbors and local law enforcement. Police officers, firefighters, and city officials attend these gatherings to interact with residents in a positive, relaxed setting. At the event, volunteers engaged directly with attendees, including families, law enforcement, and city officials. The response was overwhelmingly positive: a local park ranger expressed gratitude for the anti-drug materials, noting that most of his emergency calls stem from substance abuse; a Sacramento police officer requested Youth for Human Rights materials; representatives from the mayor’s and city councilmember’s offices gathered samples to share with city leadership; and a school district administrator showed strong 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, head of 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 humanitarian L. Ron Hubbard, who believed 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 emphasizes the fundamental value of helping others, as he stated 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.” Hubbard also identified three critical battlegrounds for humanitarian efforts: the drug epidemic, illiteracy and poor education, and moral decay. He advocated for practical, common-sense moral principles to restore calm and mutual trust to troubled neighborhoods.
Mike Klagenberg, Public Affairs Director for the local church, added that Hubbard’s vision of “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” inspires him and the volunteers. He stated, “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.”
