All Hands and Hearts purple and white logo

All Hands and Hearts

Why choose All Hands and Hearts?

All Hands and Hearts provides community-inspired, volunteer-powered disaster relief.

With both the frequency and intensity of disasters on the rise around the globe, there’s an urgent need for a more thoughtful approach to the way we respond and help impacted communities recover. When a disaster strikes, All Hands and Heart arrive early and stay late to address the immediate and long-term needs of disaster communities. We work alongside the local residents and deploy our unique volunteer model to enable direct impact — helping families and communities recover by building safe, resilient schools, homes and other community infrastructure.

Thanks to passionate volunteers, donors and partners, we’ve provided nearly 20 years of disaster relief support to over 1.2 million people.

Join us on our global volunteer programs where we provide:

- Three meals a day
- Free accommodation
- No program fee to volunteer

Reviews

Default avatar
Justin
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

LA wildfire relief

It’s been great to have the chance to help with wildfire relief in Los Angeles. Program staff has put a lot of effort into buying good food for us, taking us to fun events in the area, and finding worksites that are impactful. Currently the program is focused on smoke remediation projects, but we also volunteer at sites that provide free clothing and home furnishings to those affected by the fires. Our base will be relocating in a couple weeks, but it's currently located in a nice suburban neighborhood.

Default avatar
Jonathan
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

A Local volunteer perspective on the program

I grew up in LA, specifically North Hollywood. When the fires broke out, I knew I had to do something. I've been on all hands and hearts before, and joined this program in April 2025; helping the Eaton fire, we have had many sites, mostly distribution of donations, working with local and national non-profits.

The largest thing we do by far is smoke remediation, working in Tyvek coveralls, decontaminating homes of smoke damage. You work and live with fellow volunteers; the best and worst part is that it's a revolving door of wonderful people. It's an amazing experience making friends and helping make the world a better place

What was your funniest moment?
Was on chores Accidentally did next day and that days chores haha
Pros
  • People come and go frequently
  • Helps save money while traveling
  • See the true impact our help provides
Cons
  • People come and go frequently
  • Burnout is a problem
  • Communal living is great but can be difficult to adjust
Read my full story
Default avatar
frh
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

Wonderful Experience!

This wasn't my first All Hands and Hearts project so I had high expectations and they were met at every turn! The volunteer community is top notch and the staff are absolutely amazing. I am so glad I was able to join the North Carolina response for 3 months. I made so many new friends; some I've already met up with post program and even more I know I'll keep in touch with for years to come. My highlight was getting to partner with World Central Kitchen and learning how to make enough food to feed 500 people. One day I spent the whole morning making 10gallons of banana bread! You should definitely apply to join the NC team today!

What was your funniest moment?
I was there over the holidays and we had a super funny white elephant exchange. Honestly, one of the best Christmases I've had. Soon fun!
Pros
  • So much opportunity for learning
  • Making lots of new friends
  • Doing good!
Cons
  • Showers are small as we were staying in a kids camp but they moved to a new base so that's probably not an issue anymore.
Default avatar
Sushant
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

Absolutely Recommended!

Volunteering with All Hands and Hearts (AHAH) for a week was an unforgettable and transformative experience. As my first time going for such volunteer opportunity, AHAH set an incredible example of meaningful community service combined with cultural exchange. The experience not only allowed me to contribute to a great cause but also provided invaluable exposure to diverse cultures and perspectives.

One of the most rewarding aspects of my time with AHAH was working on projects that directly benefited school children. Seeing their smiles and knowing that our efforts were contributing to their future brought me immense happiness and a deep sense of fulfillment. The experience reinforced my belief in the power of education and community-driven initiatives.

AHAH also did a fantastic job of helping volunteers immerse themselves in the local culture through initiatives like Mason’s Day and Friday school visits, where we got the chance to interact with children through games and activities. These moments helped me connect with the local community on a personal level and understand their way of life beyond the worksite.

Beyond the local engagement, interacting with volunteers from around the world was an eye-opening experience. I learned French and German phrases, discovered how to make authentic Italian gnocchi, and exchanged stories about traditions and customs from different parts of the world.

The staff were incredibly friendly and supportive, making it easy to blend in with the team and the locals. While the work was physically demanding at times, the encouragement and camaraderie of my fellow volunteers made every challenge worthwhile.

Suggestions for improvement:
Overall, the program was well-structured, but having more opportunities to engage in longer conversations with local community members could further enrich the cultural exchange.

Rating: 5/5

What was your funniest moment?
It was when we chose to climb a dry water stream thinking we will find a way to other side from the top of hill but there was no way neither up nor down once we were halfway there.
Default avatar
Tyler
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

Maui, HI-Wildfire

Cannot say enough about this program and the staff. It is amazing how welcomed I felt and I could easily get involved. I felt like I had a purpose and was shown the proper safe way to work. The staff are very helpful and take their time with you. The on-base activities after work are awesome as well. The atmosphere is really cool and it feels like family. I love meeting people from all over the world and making connections with good hearted people. All Hands and Hearts has a really good system and I would recommend volunteering to anyone who loves to have fun while helping people in need.

What was your funniest moment?
One night we were playing a game called salad bowl and my face hurt from laughing so much.
Pros
  • meeting interesting people
  • helping people in need
  • sense of community

Programs

Displaying 1 - 5 of 5

Alumni Interviews

These are in-depth Q&A sessions with verified alumni.

Jonathan Asher Cox

Jonathan and friends

Interview: A Local volunteer perspective on the program

Why did you choose this program?

I just finished 2 disaster response or All Hands and Hearts DARTS, in Kentucky floods and Missouri tornado response. I wanted to do something to help my home after the wildfires in LA. Having the chance to help my community, my home, it's some of the most fulfilling work I've ever done.

What did your program provider (or university) assist you with, and what did you have to organize on your own?

They assisted in providing help with pre-arrival online training. The staff are incredibly helpful, explaining and being understanding, coordinating how you can get to the base. Which is provided for free. Food on work days is provided. They will tell you how to get to base, but the cost of getting their is usually on you. They have a sponsorship program you can apply for that'll cover the airfare be aware its competitive and hard to get. Overall, the staff are incredibly helpful.

What is one piece of advice you'd give to someone going on your program?

You live and work with the same group of people, which is fun, you bond make a lot of friends. But harder to have alone time. So when you want time to be by yourself, take it. As fast as you bond and make friends, you all leave eventually. It's a revolving door of people,e you bond with them. And you get to meet a lot of new people. But making friends and losing them is by far the hardest thing about this program.

What does an average day/week look like as a participant of this program?

Monday-Friday, waking up 6 am, coffee/ tea/ breakfast, get dressed etc load the pick up trucks, leave by 7 am to site usually 45min-1hr drive unload equipment, stretch circle, get PPE on start work, usually 9-10:30 1st break, 10-20min depending how hot it is, then work until lunch around 11or 12 last 45min to an hour, either eat on site or drive somewhere to eat Work until 2:30, start cleaning up decontamination PPE and equipment, and loading it into the bins, then to the trucks drive back to base Get their 4 pm 1hr 15 min until meeting at 5:15, lasts 15 minutes, then either dinner after or soon after. Curfew and quiet hrs 9 pm.

Going into your experience abroad, what was your biggest fear, and how did you overcome it? How did your views on the issue change?

That I wouldn't enjoy it, I wouldn't make friends, and that this was too good to be true. I joined it's a bit overwhelming the 1st few days to a week. After that 1st hurdle, it gets a whole lot easier and you meet and make friends. It's normal to be anxious, but ask questions to the staff before you arrive, make sure that you mentally prepare for meeting friends and losing them just as fast. Take it easy on yourself, it's a new environment. But it's well worth it.

Is there anything I would've done differently?

I wouldn't have worried as much, enjoyed my friends a bit more by talking to them more, doing more social activities/setting up more activities. Ask questions even if they're stupid. And definitely get out of my head a bit more and enjoy their company. You won't see them for a while, so enjoy it as much as you can. But don't force it. Friendships are wonderful but require equal desire for it.

 

Staff Interviews

These are in-depth Q&A sessions with program leaders.

Jessica Thompson

Job Title
All Hands' Director of Volunteer Coordination
Jess Thompson is All Hands and Hearts' Training and Development Manager. She helps make sure staff and volunteers have the training they need to be efficient and effective in the field.
Director of Volunteer Coordination

Did you volunteer abroad? If so, where and what inspired you to go?

I volunteered with All Hands for 16 months in Indonesia and Haiti before becoming staff. Like all of our volunteers, I was driven to help those who need support following the impact of a natural disaster

As with a large number of our alumni I signed up for just a couple of weeks but the work was so meaningful, my fellow volunteers so inspirational and the communities so welcoming I found I didn't want to leave. In the last five years I have now been to 17 projects, and a part of many more from my desk at home, and seeing communities being supported on the road to recovery is as satisfying as it was my first week on the ground as a volunteer.

What does the future hold for All Hands Volunteers - any exciting new programs to share?

As a disaster response organization it is impossible for us to predict where and when our next project will be. We have cleaned up after floods, rebuilt after typhoons, cleared debris after tornados and shoveled snow after the historical snowstorms that hit the Boston area this year.

If local mechanisms, agencies and individuals are overwhelmed by the scale of the damage All Hands will look at ways that volunteers can plug in and fill the gaps, whether this mean winterizing homes in Colorado or building boats in Samar. We're always looking for unmet needs in the communities we serve and how we can use the motivation and dedication of our volunteers to address them.

Do your volunteers require certain qualifications or go through a training process?

All Hands is committed to enabling motivated people to assist communities affected by natural disasters. We try to remove as many barriers to participation as possible so that our volunteer population is as diverse and innovative as possible.

We do not require our volunteers to have any special skills or previous experience, and there is no minimum or maximum amount of time you must sign up for. If you have the time and ability to travel to the location of our of our projects, and we have space, you're in! Our Team Leaders will share their expertise with you, making sure you have all the information and techniques you need to have a positive and productive time in the field.

What is the level of cultural immersion your volunteers receive?

All of our projects involve lots of interaction with the local community. We welcome local residents as volunteers, and many projects hire a large local workforce to help us with highly skilled tasks such as translation and construction.

You'll also work side by side with the homeowners and beneficiaries you're assisting, clearing basements of debris, building houses, cutting down and removing fallen trees and so on. Outside of the workday, you are free to explore the area as much as you'd like, eating in mom and pop restaurants, riding local transport and getting roped into the local sport of choice - your skill level is irrelevant!