Drug-Free Tennessee Promotes Red Ribbon Week and Spreads Awareness

 Drug-Free Tennessee, the local chapter of the Foundation for a Drug-Free World, is promoting drug awareness and education for Red Ribbon Week. 

Drug-Free Tennessee in partnership with the Church of Scientology Nashville is holding several drug prevention and educational events during Red Ribbon Week, a national initiative to promote drug prevention and awareness. 

Tennessee consistently ranks in the top five US states in terms of substance abuse rates, according to a report from lakeviewhealth.com. The website further describes that despite the rise in opioid addictions, alcohol abuse statistics have remained stable, so alcohol is still the most commonly abused substance in Tennessee. In fact, more than 60 percent of patients who enter state drug treatment programs seek treatment for alcohol addiction and about 1 in 20 Tennessee residents abused or were dependent on alcohol in 2016. The website describes opioid abuse, specifically pointing out that oxycodone and hydrocodone are the most commonly abused of painkillers. Although physicians legally prescribe them, these medications often end up on the black market, which has led to a surge in drug related crimes in Tennessee. Opioid overdoses have become so widespread that the Tennessee General Assembly has permitted pharmacies to carry naloxone, a medication used to negate the effects of an opioid overdose until the patient receives professional treatment.

To protect youth from the disastrous effects of abusing these and other drugs, Drug-Free Tennessee teams up with community partners to bring the truth about drugs to young people during Red Ribbon Week.

“We have an immediate task ahead of us: get the drug overdoses going downward,” says Julie Brinker, an ambassador for the organization, “Nashville has seen an increase every year in overdoses since 2018 and it’s time to get this turned around.”  

Red Ribbon Week is a week-long celebration at the end of October to promote a drug-free lifestyle. The Red Ribbon has been worn as a symbol since 1985 when DEA Agent Enrique “Kiki” Camarena was murdered. Angered parents and youth in communities across the country began wearing Red Ribbons to show their commitment to raise awareness of the killing and destruction caused by drugs in America. 

Volunteers will join with Drug-Free Tennessee for educational events and to distribute copies of The Truth About Drugs, a booklet that helps young people understand what drugs are and how they affect the user. Additionally, DFT is holding an event to promote a drug-free lifestyle. 

Drug-Free Tennessee is the local chapter of the Foundation for a Drug-Free World, an international non-profit organization. Its materials demonstrate the dangers of drugs through factual information and interviews with former addicts giving personal perspectives on each of the substances covered. For more information on the Truth About Drugs, visit drugfreeworld.org or drugfreetn.org. 

Nashville Religion Communicators to Learn About Sacred Research

 The Nashville Chapter of the Religion Communicators Council (RCC) meets monthly to talk about topics of interest and hear from professionals in religious communications. 

 

 

The Religion Communicators Council (RCC) is an interfaith association of religion communicators at work in print and electronic communication, marketing, and public relations. The Nashville Chapter meets monthly to learn about other faith traditions, learn from fellow communicators and gain professional development opportunities.

 

The September 2022 meeting will be virtual with a guest speaker on the topic of “Research: The Sacred Ground of Understanding Your Consumer.” According to RCC Nashville, “Using research to inform decision-making and strategy development can lead to a better understanding of consumers in both physical and online environments. This session will explore research as a helpful tool and a way to truly understand the modern-day consumer.”

 

“It’s important to know your audience, and we are looking forward to learning more about in-depth research,” says Julie Brinker, communications coordinator for the Nashville RCC and Director of Community Affairs for the Nashville Church of Scientology.

 

The RCC has members from every faith group and walk of life including Baha’is, Christians, Jews, Muslims, Scientologists, Sikhs, Hindus, and more. The RCC, founded in 1929, is an association of communications professionals who work for and with a diverse group of faith-based organizations in the areas of communications, public relations, advertising, and development.

 

The RCC provides opportunities for communicators to learn from each other. Together, RCC members promote excellence in the communication of faith and values in the public arena. For more information about the Religion Communicators Council, visit religioncommunicators.org/nashville-chapter. 

Drug-Free Tennessee Spreads the Truth for International Overdose Awareness Day

 

Recently released data by the CDC show that drug overdose deaths reached a record high of 93,331 in 2020. That’s more than 20,000 deaths above the previous high in 2019 and the largest single-year percentage increase on record since 1999. Unfortunately, in Nashville those numbers have also seen an alarming increase each year since 2019, according to Metro Police.

 

Drug-Free Tennessee (DFT) has long warned youth and adults alike on the dangers of drug abuse, and the group is now planning a large-scale booklet distribution event in observance of International Overdose Awareness Day.  

 

International Overdose Awareness Day was initiated in 2001 by Sally J Finn at The Salvation Army in St Kilda, Melbourne. Since 2001, many community members as well as government and non-government organizations have held events to raise awareness and commemorate those who have been lost to drug overdose. According to OverdoseDay.org, “International Overdose Awareness Day is the world’s largest annual campaign to end overdose, remember without stigma those who have died and acknowledge the grief of the family and friends left behind.”

 

Drug-Free Tennessee is the local chapter of the Foundation for a Drug-Free World, an international non-profit working to help educate people on the dangers of drugs through a multimedia campaign.

 

Resources are available free of charge through drugfreeworld.org, including downloadable Truth About Drugs booklet, which cover all basic side effects of drugs, common street names, and how to recognize when you are being persuaded by a dealer. DFT also has a range of award-winning Public Service Announcements and an award-winning feature length documentary detailing the dangers of drugs and addiction. To learn more or to order booklets or view the videos, visit drugfreetn.org and drugfreeworld.org.

 

Tennessee Human Rights Day Planning to Begin in September 2022

 

According to recent news articles on UN.org, human rights abuse and suppression remain on a global level. Though it is not necessary to look to Palestine or Myanmar when human rights abuses also exist in our own backyard. To bring increased awareness and education on human rights to the public, especially as things are close to home, a celebration for Human Rights Day takes place each December in Nashville, Tenn.

 

On this day, Tennesseans celebrate the ratification of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) by the United Nations, originally signed on Dec 10, 1948. It is always an event with a message of hope for the future, respect for the past, and looking at what it will take to change human rights abuses in the present.

 

“Human Rights Day means acknowledging leaders while encouraging others to take up the torch for the future,” says planning committee chair Rev. Brian Fesler, pastor of the Church of Scientology. The celebration has been held virtually for two years due to the coronavirus pandemic, but planning committee members are hopeful for an in-person event this December. 

 

The celebration centers around the Human Rights Lifetime Achievement awards, the Rising Advocate Awards, and the Outstanding Service Award. Last year, Rising Advocate Awards were given to three individuals who have made great strides for human rights and show even greater promise for the future. 

 

The committee plans to feature many different human rights organizations during this year’s celebration, especially government agencies and non-profit organizations in Tennessee that have commitments to some part of the thirty rights as laid out in the UDHR. Organizations who wish to participate in the planning may contact the organizer through www.nashvillehumanrights.org.

Church of Scientology Announces Peace Day Event to Take Place in September

 The Tennessee chapter of United for Human Rights (TNUHR) will have a large inter-religious, multicultural event for International Peace Day.

The Church of Scientology in partnership with Tennessee United for Human Rights will hold its annual Nashville Celebration of International Day of Peace in mid-September. Tennessee United for Human Rights (TUHR) has held an event for International Day of Peace for many years, each with a different theme related to the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. TUHR promotes human rights education as a way to combat ignorance and increase awareness.  

During past Peace Day events, a different human right has been the focus. Past themes have included religious diversity, human trafficking awareness, and domestic violence education. 

“Each year we focus on a human rights issue that needs to be brought to light. This year we will bring together the community to speak and learn of peace on a universal level,” says Rev. Brian Fesler, regional coordinator of the Tennessee United for Human Rights program. 

International Day of Peace was declared by the United Nations General Assembly as a day devoted to strengthening the ideals of peace, both within and among all nations and peoples. 

The Peace Day event will be held in mid-September in the Nashville Church of Scientology community hall.

TNUHR is a chapter of the international organization United for Human Rights, formed on the 60th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights to provide human rights resources and educational materials to all sectors of society. 

For more information about Peace Day or to find out more about Tennessee United for Human Rights, visit tnuhr.org.

Scientology Nashville Responds to Help to Victims of Kentucky 2022 Flooding

 The Nashville Church of Scientology Volunteer Ministers are active when disasters strike to help rebuild and recover. 

The July 2022 flooding in Kentucky has an official death toll of 38 and thousands now find themselves homeless, looking for answers and help. That help has arrived from non-profits across the country that are active in disasters. Among them are the Churches of Scientology Disaster Response unit, with teams coming from Nashville, Tennessee; Cincinnati, Ohio; Clearwater, Florida; and Twin Cities, Minnesota. 

The Scientology Volunteer Ministers have been at work on the ground in Eastern Kentucky, organizing supplies, handing out food to victims and volunteers, and working with others to bring sorely needed help. 

“The community is coming together and the generosity and outpouring of help are heartwarming,” according to a representative of the Volunteer Ministers. 

Scientology Volunteer Ministers respond to disasters whenever they occur. Sponsored by local Scientology Churches, teams of volunteers provide backup to emergency personnel responding to fires, hurricanes, earthquakes, and other natural and man-made disasters. They work in shelters, package and distribute food, and help people recover through Scientology assists—techniques developed by Scientology Founder L. Ron Hubbard that provide relief from spiritual and emotional trauma.

Whether serving in their communities or on the other side of the world, the motto of the Scientology Volunteer Minister is “Something can be done about it.” The program, created by Mr. Hubbard in the mid-1970s, is sponsored by the Church of Scientology International as a religious social service and constitutes one of the world’s most significant independent relief forces.

The Volunteer Minister “helps his fellow man on a volunteer basis by restoring purpose, truth and spiritual values to the lives of others.”

For more information on Scientology, the Churches of Scientology Disaster Response, or Volunteer Ministers, visit scientology.org. 

Church of Scientology Brings Diverse Community Together for 7th Annual International Friendship Day Celebration

 The Church of Scientology Nashville held its seventh annual Friendship Day open house this past weekend, with participation from the diverse population that makes up the ever-growing city.

 

The International Day of Friendship was established by the United Nations General Assembly in 2011 in the belief that “friendship between peoples, countries, cultures and individuals can inspire peace efforts and build bridges between communities.”

 

“We love bringing a diverse group of people together and demonstrating the power of friendship,” says Rev. Brian Fesler, pastor of the Church of Scientology. “Most of life’s problems come from our basic misunderstanding of each other—a misunderstanding of intentions—getting along with one another starts with getting to know each other.”

 

The Church of Scientology partners in this effort with The Way to Happiness Association of Tennessee, which provides a community betterment program based on the book The Way to Happiness by L. Ron Hubbard. The initiative is predicated on the fact that one’s survival depends on the survival of others—and that without the survival of others, neither joy nor happiness is attainable. Several precepts in the book promote dialogue and friendship, among them “Respect the Religious Beliefs of Others,” “Be Worthy of Trust,” and “Try to Treat Others As You Would Want Them to Treat You.”

 

This year, the International Friendship Day theme was “sharing the human spirit through friendship,” and the Nashville event embodied this with dialogue between those of many different faith traditions, from Baptist and Catholic, to Scientologist, Jew, and Latter-Day Saint.   

 

"People need to come together and be friends," says Rev. Enoch Fuzz, pastor of Corinthian Missionary Baptist Church. Fuzz and Fesler have been working together on this annual event for over eight years.

 

For more information on the Church of Scientology, its programs or upcoming events, visit scientology-ccnashville.org.