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Location
Multiple Locations +4
  • Philippines
  • Mexico
  • United States of America
  • Nepal
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.
18
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
Jan 22, 2025
Dec 30, 2024
Wish List
26 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 our community of passionate volunteers, donors and partners, we've provided 20 years of disaster relief support to over 1.4 million people.

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Video and Photos

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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

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Program Reviews

4.96 Rating
based on 75 reviews
Leave a Review
  • 5 rating 96%
  • 4 rating 4%
  • 3 rating 0%
  • 2 rating 0%
  • 1 rating 0%
  • Impact 4.95
  • Support 4.9
  • Fun 4.9
  • Value 4.95
  • Safety 4.85
Good for Solo Travelers, Students, Couples
Showing 33 - 40 of 75 reviews
Default avatar
Heather
48
Female
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

Changed my life

Jul 19, 2017

I have been helping with disaster relief and recovery on All Hands projects for the past four years. What started out as a three month stint has totally changed the course of my life. Volunteering with All Hands has given me an outlet to help
people through some of the worst moments of their lives, has given me life skills I will have with me forever, helped me grow in ways I never could have imagined and has helped me become part of the best family I have ever known. Everyday, I get to work alongside some of the best people I have ever met. While making a difference and having fun at the same time. How many people can say that?

75 people found this review helpful.
Helpful
Default avatar
Alex
29
Female
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

Impact

Jul 19, 2017

I came to Louisiana looking to do something with my summer geared toward my career goals. What I found was a place where I was challenged, supported, and appreciated. Working with All Hands for the past two months has truly changed my perspective of the world and challenged who I thought I was. I have never been around a group of people more accepting, kind, or with more of a drive to help others. This, combined with the tangible positive impact you, as a volunteer, are making to help rebuild the community is unlike any other experience.

73 people found this review helpful.
Helpful
Laura
Female
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

Life changing experience

Jul 14, 2017

I have been working with All Hands Volunteers for almost 3 months in Peru, and it is the most amazing volunteer program I have participated. It is incredible how much this project can impact an area, helping to rebuilt the community from the structural point of view to the economical as well. And it also an amazing experience to the volunteers to be engaged in this kind of activity, where you can see and be part of a work that is really a life changing one.

93 people found this review helpful.
Helpful
Default avatar
jacob
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

All Hands peru Response, AMAZING

Jul 14, 2017

I came here a month ago to Huarmey to assist in the flood response. I have volunteered before with all hnds in Haiti. the whole proccess of getting here was simple and easy. Once here it has once again exceeded my expectations. We have a greatbase camp with over 50 volunteers who are all awesome like minded people. Hard days and fun nights. Staff are awesome and welcoming. Many stories made on this trip and ive now exteneded for somemonths as i dont wnt to leave! You wont regret volunteering for this organisiation. And its free! P.S the food is great and local beers cold and good.

What would you improve about this program?
Full time up skilled first aid or medic on site.
90 people found this review helpful.
Helpful
Bogdanka
Female
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

life changing experience

Jul 14, 2017

When I join AHV, I had signed up for only two weeks as I didn't know what to expect. It has now been almost two months, and I am staying an extra two months. I can't describe into words how life changing this experience has been and is still for me. AHV does make a difference for the community, for people in need, we see the change in their lifes and how grateful the beneficiaries are that we are here doing what we do.
The work is hard but being surrounded by mindful and amazing people makes it so rewarding. I do recommend to anyone to come and join AHV and rebuild hope to those in need.

What would you improve about this program?
More communication about what is the work the volunteers are going to do, before they head to the base. We are not really aware until we arrive. It would be nice to have a blog updated every week or two just for the volunteers that are about to join so they know what's on at the moment.
90 people found this review helpful.
Helpful
Default avatar
Topher
48
Male
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

So grateful

Jul 7, 2017

I joined All Hands in April of this year. I signed on originally to volunteer for 4 months but have since extended my time to 5 months.
I feel so blessed that I can use my time and talents to help rebuild homes for those who can not do it themselves.
I came to all hands with no prior knowledge of construction or any knowledge of disaster relief. Everything I know now has been taught to me through the site supervisors and other staff.
I feel so grateful that I have this opportunity to help others.

78 people found this review helpful.
Helpful
Ethan
Male
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

this place is great

Jul 5, 2017

this place is great and everyone has such passion for the work they are doing. The staff are very compitent and always helpful. We were mudding homes after they had been affected by server flooding. Demolition was also being done on unsafe home. we are living at a great hostal with all the other volunteers and staff in which even after working all day you still want to hangout with everyone do to the fact that the people on this program are so wounderful

92 people found this review helpful.
Helpful
Default avatar
Hillary
Female
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

One of the best experiences of my life

Feb 10, 2017

All Hands Nepal was one of the most rewarding things I've ever done. The work was challenging but it was really rewarding to look back at the end of the day and see what you had accomplished. We had an amazing group of people (standard All Hands) and I loved spending time together at the end of the day. We were living in a remote village and got to really know some of the locals which was lovely! I also really enjoyed the lifestyle, we all became quite addicted to it. Would really recommend this program to everyone!

What would you improve about this program?
Healthier options with food.
117 people found this review helpful.
Helpful

Questions & Answers

Alumni Interviews

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

Dana Beguerie

Program
All Hands and Hearts - Disaster Relief Nonprofit
Dana Beguerie

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.

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!

Staff Interviews

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

Jessica Thompson

Program
All Hands and Hearts - Disaster Relief Nonprofit
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!

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...

  • Go Overseas Award
  • Go Overseas Award

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