In May of 2013, several tornadoes of unimaginable size and force descended on Oklahoma, causing immense destruction and untold suffering for those in the wake of these storms of unprecedented violence. In the aftermath of these storms, people of goodwill stepped forward to offer much needed help to those in need.
Disaster Relief Efforts
Narconon Arrowhead drug rehabilitation center, located in Canadian, Oklahoma, was fortunate enough not to be in the path of these killer tornadoes, and all staff and students on the rehab program at the facility remained secure and safe. For those fellow Oklahomans far less fortunate, Narconon Arrowhead sent their Drug Education Specialist, Niko Bain, to help with the relief efforts.
Niko joined a team of Volunteer Ministers from the Church of Scientology, working in the Shawnee area, hard-hit by the storms. He joined-in with the ongoing and much needed distribution of water, food, clothing and other supplies to those in need from the established distribution location, the Absentee-Shawnee Relief Center in Little Axe, Oklahoma. Chainsaw in hand, he also helped a homeowner cut-up downed trees that littered the yard after experiencing the wrath of the first tornado to cut through Oklahoma.
Some Special Help through Narconon Drug Rehab
According to Niko, I normally stand in front of the classroom talking to kids about staying off drugs. It's great to get out with people in the community one-on-one and give them a different kind of help – a type they really need right now.
And because he is an experienced Drug Education Specialist who educates children, youth and adults on drugs, what they really are, and their harmful effects on those who use them, Bain was able to use his professional skills, training and knowledge to help in a very unique and special way:
“These folks know that I'm from Narconon Arrowhead, and I've been able to offer further help in the form of drug education classes for the Absentee-Shawnee tribal police, and for local schools and the tribe itself. So I'll be back to help in another way after these relief efforts are complete.”
Despite the shocking devastation wrought by Mother’s Nature’s fury in the form of monster tornadoes, there is an ongoing devastation of drug abuse and addiction in the lives of many Oklahomans, and in the lives of many across our nation and our world. While residents of most locations in the United States will never fear a tornado of such magnitude, it is certain they will face some level of destruction caused by the abuse of drugs and alcohol, and the attendant crime and destruction it engenders. It is indeed special help that Niko Bain can give in the form of Drug Education and Prevention and Narconon Arrowhead disaster relief efforts.
In an interview with George Blanchard, Governor of the Absentee Shawnee Tribe, given at one of the tribal relief centers, Mr. Blanchard told Niko: I want to thank Narconon for sending volunteers and helping us out during our disaster.”
Inherent in this once-in-a-lifetime experience of being part of such a relief effort, is the getting to know the people you are helping, and the seeing and knowing that you are making a real difference in their lives, for the better. It is in the worst of circumstances that the human spirit often shines its brightest. And it is in the wasteland of destruction all around, that a person’s faith in the goodness of human nature can be restored. It is certain that this young man from Narconon Arrowhead will long remember the people he met and helped, knowing that he had a part in changing their lives for the better.