Volunteers of the Week: Jess Li and Jonathan Liang

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 Volunteers of the Week: Jess Li & Jonathan Liang!

"Jess Li and Jonathan Liang are incredible members of our volunteer team," says Chapter & Operations Coordinator Olive Younts. "Together, they contribute to countless HQ events, consistently showing up as a dependable duo our HQ can always rely on. In addition, Jess serves as Chapter President at the University of California, San Diego (UCSD), where she expands access to free campus resources, overdose prevention trainings, and leads a large, well-coordinated volunteer team."

Can you tell us about yourself and your stories?

Jonathan: I was born in raised in San Diego where I went to UCSD and majored in Human Biology. I currently go to UCI as a grad student in their school of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences pursing a PharmD.

Jess: I am a fourth year Pharmacological Chemistry major at UCSD with a minor in General Biology. My hometown is Dublin, Ohio. In my free time, I enjoy reading, doing my nails and crocheting.

What inspired you to volunteer for End Overdose?

Jonathan: Once I started getting into raving, I wanted to keep not only my friends safe but those in the community around me. I noticed it was really hard to acquire any supplies until I stumbled upon End Overdose. Reading through their website inspired me to start a Chapter at UCSD.

Jess: I was introduced to overdose prevention in high school through volunteering for a needle exchange program and wanted to continue that work through undergrad. When I heard about End Overdose I knew I wanted to get involved and help out as much as I could as their mission really resonates with me.

How and when did you meet?

Jess: We met during undergrad in 2022 as we were part of the same organizations, and when Jonathan founded End Overdose, both of us being in the healthcare field, naturally we signed up for volunteer opportunities together.

What’re your favorite memories of volunteering (together or separate) with End Overdose?

Jonathan: My favorite part about volunteering has honestly just been meeting all these wonderful people from both EO staff, volunteers, as well as the visitors who come to our booth!

Jess: My favorite memories of volunteering have been from EDC 2024 and 2025. I felt that through these events I was able to meet the most diverse group of people in terms of background. It was really amazing to not only train them but also to hear their stories!