Volunteer of the Week: Diego Munoz

End Overdose is made possible by hundreds of volunteers working tirelessly across the country. Some of them are training attendees at national festivals on how to respond to an overdose, while others are packing naloxone kits in our office well into the evening hours. We want to shine a light on the people whose efforts make our resources free and accessible to all, so we’re excited to share our Volunteer of the Week: Diego Munoz!

"Diego most recently led EDC Orlando with a large team of event volunteers, securing the booth's success at the event. Despite challenges, he handled trainings and distribution efforts for the entire weekend," says Chapter & Operations Coordinator Olive Younts. "Diego has continually been an excellent lead, supporting End Overdose in various events across the country."

Can you tell us about yourself and your story?

Hi! I'm 26 years old and currently based in St. Petersburg, Florida. I graduated from UC Riverside in 2023, where I co-founded the second End Overdose chapter. Professionally, I work in government procurement, am developing a supply chain advisory business, and am pursuing a graduate degree in Supply Chain Management.

Before attending UCR, I lived in Hong Kong for nearly a decade. While that experience shaped my worldview, it was in college that I refined my leadership skills. I had held previous leadership roles and made plenty of mistakes, so when my friend Luke Chiappetta asked me to help launch this chapter as VP, I was ready. Looking back, I couldn't be prouder. Being part of the End Overdose family as we grew this organisation has been a defining experience of my life.

What inspired you to volunteer for End Overdose?

I have always had a bias toward action. Riverside County was being devastated by the fentanyl crisis, and I viewed this loss of life as both a humanitarian tragedy and a national strategic failure. When the opportunity arose to establish a chapter, I jumped in.

We started small, but the turning point was a pilot session at Escape Halloween 2022. I knew this was our chance to prove to Insomniac that we were a reliable partner. I must have done something right, because that success led to an invitation to lead the first all-volunteer mission at EDC Orlando. I recruited 12 local volunteers online and organized a travel team from SoCal. Then, Hurricane Nicole hit. The storm grounded my SoCal team; I was the only one who made it to Florida, following an emergency landing hours outside Orlando. Without my experienced core team, the weekend was a massive logistical challenge, but I adapted. We trained thousands of attendees and cemented the strategic relationship with Insomniac.

Today, End Overdose has grown beyond what we could have imagined. I'm grateful to Theo, AJ, HQ, and the whole volunteer force for their hard work. Even though I've graduated, I return each year to lead the EDC Orlando team.

What's your favorite memory of volunteering with End Overdose?

My favorite memory is meeting a survivor who was revived by an individual we trained and equipped. That conversation brought the mission into sharp focus and deeply moved me.

This survivor was a medical student—someone's child, and a future doctor. Losing young, bright Americans to a small mistake is a loss our country and local communities cannot afford. End Overdose exists to ensure that a single mistake doesn't end a life, giving people like that person the second chance they deserve.