When Typhoon Haiyan devastated the Philippines in November 2013, Christopher White called up some of his friends and did what many groups did at the time: volunteer on the ground.
Back then, White was a travel director for an extreme adventure tour company based in Beijing, China. Mobilizing 25 people from different backgrounds, he initially led a team of volunteers — most of whom paid their own expenses to travel in the Philippines — to help and achieve a simple goal a month after the disaster: work with local groups to deliver food and medical supplies, clear debris and build ten houses in one of the hardest-hit areas in Bantayan Island, Cebu.
But what was once a modest and humble coming together of like-minded individuals and friends who want to help in emergency relief operations has now become a full-blown commitment to aid Haiyan recovery efforts. White co-founded Young Pioneer Disaster Response with several peers who are committed to long-term programs and solutions as part Haiyan recovery efforts in Bantayan. The organization is now accredited both in the Philippines and in the United States.