All Hands and Hearts - Disaster Relief Nonprofit

Name: All Hands and Hearts - Disaster Relief Nonprofit
Brand: All Hands and Hearts
SKU: 300030
Rating: 4.96 (74 reviews)

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4.96 Rating

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Location

Multiple Locations +4

Philippines
Mexico
United States of America
Ukraine

Project Types

Community Development Building Projects Social Services Disaster Relief Refugee Relief

Need-based funding

Health & Safety

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Program Details

Language

English

Age Min.

Timeframe

Short Term Spring Break Summer Winter Year Round

Groups

Small Group (1-15) Medium Group (16-30) Large Group (31+)

Travel Type

Budget Family Older Travelers Solo Women

Pricing

What's Included

Accommodation Meals Some Meals

What's Not Included

Airfare SIM cards Transportation Travel Insurance Visa

Last Updated: Apr 17, 2024

Last Reviewed: Sep 19, 2021

Wish List

7 travelers are looking at this program

About Program

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

With the frequency and intensity of disasters on the rise around the globe, there's an urgent need for a more thoughtful approach to how we respond and help impacted communities recover. When a disaster strikes, All Hands and Hearts arrives early and stays late to address vulnerable communities' immediate and long-term needs. We work alongside the local leaders 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 1.3 million people.

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Video and Photos

Volunteers wearing purple shirts in Nepal

Program Highlights

Free accommodation
Three meals a day for all volunteers days
No program fee to volunteer
No experience required
Make new global connections

Popular Programs

Hawaii Wildfire Relief

As a volunteer, you'll be making a meaningful impact on Maui, responding to wildfires that started on August 8. Our program, situated north of Lahaina, aims to support a community devastated by the fires.

Our team is focusing our efforts at the Napili Noho Community Hub on Maui, which supports families and aims to provide long-term support for communities recovering from the wildfires over the next two years.

AHAH volunteers in purple shirts doing construction work on Hurricane Ian impacted home

Florida Hurricane Relief

Our staff and volunteers continue to respond to recovery needs in Fort Myers, Florida following damage from Hurricane Ian. We are currently repairing homes so that homeowners can feel safe and secure at their residences.

Hurricanes hit quickly, but recovery is slow. Florida was hit on September 28, 2022, by Hurricane Ian, a Category 4 storm. Significant damage occurred in coastal towns and cities, while inland areas experienced life-threatening floods.

Ukraine Crisis Relief

All Hands and Hearts has been addressing the unique needs of families and individuals impacted by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine since March 2022. With a focus on refugees and Internally Displaced Persons (IDP), we are committed to supporting these communities.

Filipino student swinging on new playground

Philippines Typhoon Relief

In May 2024, we will launch a new phase of our typhoon relief program in Southern Leyte, where we will mobilize volunteers and work alongside local community members to help build a school impacted by Typhoon Rai.

Program Reviews

4.96 Rating

based on 74 reviews

Leave a Review

Rating Spread Volunteer

5 rating 95.95%
4 rating 4.05%
3 rating 0%
2 rating 0%
1 rating 0%

Impact 4.95
Support 4.9
Fun 4.9
Value 4.95
Safety 4.85

Showing 9 - 16 of 74 reviews

This is my third time volunteering with AHAH here in Puerto Rico, seeing the improvements in the area is very rewarding. Driving by the little league stadiums, churches, community centers and houses that have been addressed gets more impressive with each return trip. The opportunity to get to know the individual homeowners and their stories is truly unique. The resilience and love of the Puerto Rican people is inspiring. The chance to work with people of all ages from all nationalities is also a draw for me. The friendships I've made will last a life time.

What was the most surprising thing you saw or did?

When volunteers are working we wear very distinctive, purple t-shirts which are recognized everywhere that we go. Just running in to the grocery store could take 10-15 minutes longer as you are thanked, hugged and blessed by the store customers. Each one knows someone, friend or family, that have been, or will be helped, to make their homes safe and livable again by the AHAH volunteers.

Last year I volunteered with AHAH in St. Thomas and had such a great experience I decided to go to Puerto Rico for another week of volunteering. I found both locations to be very well organized and relaxed, but structured.

The communication before the trip was great. When they confirm your spot, they sent you a volunteer packet containing the work you'll be doing and information on what to bring and what it's like to stay on base. All the information was clear and helpful and I felt completely prepared before leaving. They reached out to ensure that my flights were booked and had transportation to base,

Staying on base is free and includes all three meals on the weekdays. They'll ask you to set up a donation page and I recommend donating yourself to help cover the cost in addition to sharing it with friends, family, and on social media.

Both experiences were wonderful and I plan on heading to the Bahamas next year.

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I've been volunteering with All Hands on and off for a couple years and it's so much fun! I've been to Houston, Florida, and now Puerto Rico. I first heard about the organization when I served with AmeriCorps NCCC. I saw a Response program and fell in love. It was fast paced, full of fun individuals and so many opportunities to learn. We mucked and gutted, sanitized and then even got the chance to do rebuild. No matter what program you volunteer for it will be such a great experience. All Hands has a way of bringing strangers together and making them family. It sounds cheesy but it's true, I've met some of the most inspirational and positive people. Just check it out online, pick a spot and volunteer on your next break/vacation. No time is too little. DO IT!

What was your funniest moment?

I won a bet and poured an entire cooler of gatorade on someone. It was epic.

When you volunteer with All Hands you become a part of a community of people who want to do what they can to help people. The work is hard. You could be working on a roof in the sun all day, or sanitizing a house in a Tyvek suite. The people you meet make it all worth it.

The accommodations are similar to a hostel. There are bunk beds and air mattresses. During the week, all your food is provided. The homeowners might even show their gratitude by serving you a delicious authentic home cooked meal. You make your own breakfast and lunch, and the dinners are cooked by two women in the community.

During the weekend, you can adventure around the island. I've seen so many beautiful beaches and mountains. You can go hiking and jump off of giant rocks! All hands is definitely a work hard, play hard vibe.

Come here if you want to work hard all day, seek views in the afternoon and spend your evenings getting to know people from all walks of life.

What would you improve about this program?

I wish that this program was better funded, so they could afford to hire more qualified site supervisors. The program gives volunteers opportunities to lead teams, but they are often inexperienced in the scope of work.

I volunteered for the Houston Project back in Jan of this year and it was great. I have also volunteered on other AHAH projects and the living model is the same. Communal living with people who want to make a difference in the world. If you are ready to work and have a good attitude, a sense of adventure and don't mind sharing a space with 30 other people then this is the place for you. The people are truly amazing and I just loved volunteering. I am now at the Coastal Bend Program in Rockport TX and find that although it is the same state this program has a more mellow feel to it, possibly because of the small town feel. Still the people that I have met here are amazing and I am so thankful to be able to get to know everyone. Definitely a place to get to know new people and new places.

AHAH is exceptionally well run. Their recovery and relief mission here in Yabucoa, Puerto Rico is well executed. The base camp is organized, well equipped and efficient. Just as important, the staff nurture a warm, welcoming culture sustained by the long term volunteers. I am here for two weeks, a relatively short stint, and am enjoying the job site camaraderie and strong work ethic. The days are hot and sweaty. None of the roof repair, mold sanitization, or numerous other jobs are easy but there are zero slackers or complainers. I’m impressed and humbled. This is a great experience.

What would you improve about this program?

Not recommending bringing a sleeping bag. Sheets and possibly a light blanket are sufficient.

Cannot speak more highly of a program/organization. I was given the oppurtuinity to engage and help the community of Yabucoa recover from Hurricane Maria, while forming the strongest relationships with fellow volunteers from all around the world. AHAH has no fee to vounteer and provides housing and food for all those on base, making the experience meaniful and financially possible for individuals on a budget. Working from 7-3 every day AHAH taught me discpline and living communally with 60+ other vols has taought patience. I have been able to explore the island of Puerto Rico while also working harder than I ever have before. I am so grateful to have found this program and hope that others will find their experience as meaningful as mine. xo

I am volonteerig in Yabucoa in Porto Rico for six weeks. It has been amazing so far, I feel like I am learning a lot on various topics from cementing to sanitation. We are learning quite fast how to do various tasks and then we can complete them on our own. I also got to meet a lot of people from around the world, coming with different backgrounds. It is always interesting to get to know them and find out why they came here.
And meeting the owners of the houses we are fixing is always really touching and interesting. They can tell us about their story so we can understand better why we are needed here to help them. I highly recommand this experience to anyone who would want to make a real difference. I will definitely take part in another All Hands and Hearts program after this one.

What is your advice to future travelers on this program?

Come with an open mind, ready to meet a lot of different people and to learn a lot of things.

Questions & Answers

Alumni Interviews

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

Why did you choose this program?

I've worked with All Hands and Hearts twice now. The first time I volunteered in St. Thomas, they were offering free flights for people able to stay for 2+ weeks. I have generous vacation time, so I decided to go for it!

I had such an amazing experience in the St. Thomas program that I decided to sign up for their Puerto Rico program and had another fantastic experience. I can't wait to volunteer with them again and I hope to spend longer than a week.

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

For the St. Thomas trip in 2019, they booked my airfare and had accommodations set up on their base, where they provided meals, transportation to work sites, and sleeping quarters. My responsibility was to get from the airport to and from their base and cover meals on the weekends.

This most recent trip to Puerto Rico, I was responsible for my airfare, transportation to and from the base, and weekend meals. They took care of the rest.

Neither of these trips required a Visa as they're both US territories.

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

Once All Hands and Hearts has confirmed your volunteer dates, they send you a packet of information with everything you need to know: what to pack, transportation options, the type of work you'll be doing, etc. It's incredibly informative and in line with what to expect when you arrive on base.

After the St. Thomas trip, I orchestrated a group trip to volunteer with All Hands and Hearts through a social volunteer organization I work with called One Brick. We traveled with a group of ten and everyone told me they had a great experience and would volunteer with All Hands and Hearts again - even without the group.

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

For the two programs I have worked on, workdays are Monday to Friday from 8 am-4 pm. All Hands and Hearts operate multiple worksites at once all in various stages of completion.

In St. Thomas, I did a lot of interior and exterior painting and installing doorknobs. For Puerto Rico, we did mold remediation and roofing work. The site supervisors and team leaders are knowledgable and do not make you do any work you're uncomfortable with doing.

After work, there is a base-wide debrief meeting at 5 pm where we go over successes, work for the next day, program updates, fundraising updates, etc. Dinner is served between 5:30-6 pm and then people mostly hang out on base. Both locations had a curfew.

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

I was pretty nervous about sharing a room with 10-20 people because we're also spending the day together at the worksite, but there are so many people on base to hang out with and if you need your space and are feeling burnt out, people give you plenty of space.

I know some people are concerned that they do not know enough about construction or home repair to help. Since All Hands and Hearts has different types of projects going on, there is something for everyone. Don't let that stop you!

Heather Curtis

2013 Alum

Jon Griswold

2016 Alum

Randy-Nashleanas

Staff Interviews

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

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.

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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!

About 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...