MANILA, Philippines–When Filipino-American ballerina Stella Abrera performed in the Philippines last September for the first time in her 18-year career, she danced feeling a special excitement.

Although she returned to the Philippines to perform “Giselle” with Ballet Philippines at the Cultural Center of the Philippines, Abrera came back on an extra-special mission.

She had never done charity work before, but she was to travel to typhoon-ravaged Guiuan in Eastern Samar province as part of her fundraising effort to provide children in the town with school supplies.