The Church of Scientology, which has taken an image beating amid high-profile departures in recent years, in a PR blitz yesterday touted its volunteer work 12 years ago in the aftermath of the 9/11 attacks.

Gavin, CalhounScientology volunteers at Ground Zero in a photo disseminated by the church yesterday.
The church's PR operation on Sept. 11 published a new brochure about its 800 "volunteer ministers" who worked at Ground Zero and is pitching the story to national media. The group notes its ministers have served at more than 200 disaster sites.

Its latest PR battle is mitigating damage from the exit of actress Leah Remini, who has criticized the church in a series of interviews in recent months, including a Sept. 11 interview on the "Ellen DeGeneres Show."

Karin Pouw heads the church's global PR operation from Los Angeles as director of public affairs.

The church drew praise from the New York Police Department in 2001 after the World Trade Center attacks for its volunteers' assistance, which included work by arguably its most visible member, actor Tom Cruise.

Its "detoxification project" to treat emergency services workers at the site has drawn criticism, however.

The group in 2010 created the Scientology Newsroom online to stem a stream of bad press and disseminate more positive stories about the global organization. That came as Hollywood screenwriter Paul Haggis' exit sparked another cycle of bad press for the church.