Coffee on a layover in Taipei before flying into the Philippines. My boots and hat did not stay clean for long after this.

I’ve been on a blogging hiatus, but for good reason: Team Rubicon headed to the Philippines just two days after Super Typhoon Haiyan / Yolanda to help people in need.

Team Rubicon’s “Operation Seabird” Alpha Team in-briefed at TR’s Headquarters in El Segundo on November 10th, and we flew out that night. By November 12th, we were dug in at Tacloban Airport as our first base of operations in what would grow to become a disaster relief mission involving dozens of skilled, dedicated volunteers (most of whom are military veterans) that provided direct medical aid to around 2,000 typhoon victims and assisted local and national Philippine government entities with valuable area assessments and other direct support. It was simply an honor to be part of this tremendous operation and a young, but impressively smart, efficient, and get-it-done nonprofit.

I’ll have more to say soon about my 10 days on the ground in Leyte. In the meantime, check out Team Rubicon if you haven’t already, and take a few minutes to register as a volunteer if you want to pitch in and help out in responding to future disasters here in the U.S. or abroad.

The death toll from Haiyan / Yolanda in the Philippines has thus far risen above 5,500 people, and at least one million homes have been either partially or completely destroyed. Nearly 4 million people have been displaced, and more than 14 million people have been materially affected by this devastating storm. Survivors in the Philippines are working hard to recover, but they can use a hand. Please consider supporting Habitat for Humanity’s great rebuilding program in the Philippines, located HERE.

See more Disaster Relief posts