From New Jersey to Colombia: Dr. Alexander Rios Answers the Call to Serve

Dr. Rios and his volunteer team then traveled to Colombia, where they spent nine days working directly with people whose lives the disaster had disrupted. In Yotoco, they reached the remote villages of Campo Verde, Monte Adentro, Dopo and Rayito to provide direct earthquake relief to families in need.

This was not a trip centered on photographs or recognition. It was hands-on service.

The team provided humanitarian aid and food to families struggling with immediate needs. As a physician, Dr. Rios provided direct patient care to individuals who needed medical attention. The volunteers also assisted with home repairs and other efforts aimed at improving living conditions for families who had been left unhoused or living in extremely difficult circumstances.

What makes this story so meaningful to me is that it reflects the person I have known for years. Long before this humanitarian mission, Alex was someone willing to show up for others. His accomplishments as a physician and entrepreneur are certainly worthy of recognition, but his greatest contribution may be the humanity he brings to everything he does.

In a world where we sometimes use the word “hero” loosely, I believe there are modern-day heroes quietly walking among us. They are the people who see suffering and refuse to look away. They use their education, resources, relationships, and influence to create solutions instead of waiting for someone else to act.

Dr. Alexander Rios did exactly that. He could have sent a donation. Instead, he mobilized people. He could have offered his support from New Jersey. Instead, he traveled to Colombia. He could have said the problem was too large for one person to solve. Instead, he started with what he had—a goal, a dream, and the belief that people would come together to help.

And they did.

As his longtime friend, I am incredibly proud of him—not simply because he is Dr. Alexander Rios, an emergency medicine physician and entrepreneur, but because he is Alex, the friend I have known since college. His heart has always made room for others.

His journey to Colombia reminds us that service does not require us to solve every problem. Sometimes it simply requires us to ask, “What can I do?” and then have the courage to act on the answer.

For nine days, Dr. Rios and his team brought medicine, food, repairs, resources, comfort, and hope to people facing some of their most difficult moments. That is leadership. That is humanity. And that is the kind of hero our communities need.