Spreading Hope for the Holidays

CLEARWATER, Fla. - Jan. 2, 2025 - PRLog -- Clearwater, FL – On December 23^rd, Clearwater families and residents were immersed in holiday cheer and solutions to everyday problems at the Holiday Village Open House, sponsored by the Church of Scientology. Hosted alongside the grand finale of the community-loved Winter Wonderland, organized and held by the Clearwater Community Volunteers, attendees got to experience Christmas festivities all throughout the night.

The humanitarian offices in downtown Clearwater, including The Way to Happiness, Foundation for a Drug Free World and United for Human Rights amongst others, opened their doors for the community to step inside and learn about solutions to drug abuse, human rights violations and immorality. For the young ones, the centers were decorated with holiday themes such as the Gingerbread House, where you could decorate your own gingerbread home, the Grinch's Hideout, which entailed a scavenger hunt and the Ice Palace, where guests enjoyed a cup of hot chocolate.

Despite the holidays, societal issues are constantly causing havoc in our own backyard. With more than one resident of Pinellas County dying from an opioid-related overdose every 14 hours, 1,172 victims of human trafficking in Florida in 2023 and property crime rates in Pinellas County higher than both the state and country average, a need for solutions is long overdue.

At the Holiday Village Open House, guests were given educational materials they could read and share with friends and family. One grandmother in attendance commented after reading a Human Rights booklet, "No one really knows what human rights are and children don't get taught these rights in school. It's so important. I'll be telling others about this."

In the name of change, the offices frequently host open houses to invite the community to learn about solutions to addiction, violations of rights, familial issues, problems at school and more. The next open house will be on February 14^th, in celebration of Valentine's Day. If you would like to attend, please contact Tracy Hawkins at (727) 316-5309.

About the Clearwater Community Volunteers Center:

The Clearwater Community Volunteers Center, established by the Church of Scientology in 2018, is a home for the benefit of all Tampa Bay nonprofit organizations. Built on the success of the Clearwater Community Volunteers, who host the signature Winter Wonderland and Easter Egg Hunt in Clearwater, the Center was created to serve the needs of our local nonprofits. The Center is fully equipped to host meetings, seminars, events and gatherings, all at no cost to the nonprofit community. Please email CCVcenter@ccvfl.org for more information about the Center and its facilities.