All Hands & Hearts

I went to the Philippines to help the wonderful people of Catuandanes get their schools built to the highest quality they could possibly be. I was shot in the foot, figuratively, by the inexperienced staff and the horrifically unsafe and mismanaged job conditions.

Wonderful people, caring staff, beautiful experience . Been a couple different locations, same experience, just different longitude. And the locals, and local workers part of family. I'm not sure i know 200 words, O, 200 characters, some can repeat, got it. Interaction on free time with other volunteers, enjoyable, educational. Everyone you meet knows something you don't know( especially me) so listen with passion.Looking forward to next available program.Hopi g for many natural disasters to occur, of course with no injuries or community damage, which I'm guessing could still be a program? Good luck to all, continued succes., and making the world a better place, which you have.

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I spent a week in Florida volunteering in hurricane cleanup relief as I travelled around America. The program was as expected with good facilities, friendly people, good after hours events but the physical cleanup work was harder and hotter than I expected!

For upwards of a year I'd been hoping to take a sabbatical from work to try my hand at something other than an office job. A friend highly recommended AH&H to me, and it sounded like a perfect mix of meaningful work in a fun, social setting. I've now got nothing but praise for the organisation. They did a fantastic job of coordinating 30+ mostly untrained and inexperienced volunteers from all over the world. Together with the very skilled local masons and workers we built classrooms and WASH facilities that will long outlive me. Every single person I met on the program was a gem, making every waking hour a joy, be it at the worksite or on base. Very much looking forward to my next program!

Para querer ayudar con el corazón . No existe ningún obstáculo. Gracias a todos por participar en este proyecto con all Hans. Ver el trabajo unido de todos por ayudar los demas, es admirable . Dejar la comodidad de tu casa para que otros tengan el mismo.

All Hands & Hearts is a fantastic organisation with well-run volunteer programs that are exciting and great fun. The people (both staff and volunteers) are a fabulous mix and the local communities are a delight to be a part of. I've volunteered with All Hands & Hearts on three different occasions in three different countries (so far) and have loved every second of my time on site and on base.

I spent three weeks in Mexico volunteering with All Hands and Hearts, and I can truly and honestly say it was one of the best experiences of my life. From learning new skills, to working with and meeting some of the most amazing and interesting people, to bettering myself as a person - working with AHAH gave me all of this and so much more. I couldn’t recommend it enough to anyone!

Still here in Mexico and loving it! Met so many incredible people, both locals and other volunteers! A very rewarding way of travelling and learning about disaster relief and construction. Will definitely do again soon!

Volunteering with AHAH is always a deeply rewarding experience. The work is physically demanding at times but you’re always encouraged to listen to your body and take breaks when needed. There’s a strong culture of mutual respect and it makes a big difference. The team dynamic was one of the best parts of the experience. Everyone worked really well together, supported one another, and genuinely cared about doing meaningful work. The leadership is excellent, knowledgeable, approachable, and always willing to help/explain things clearly. Another great aspect is the location. There is plenty to explore, it’s safe to walk around, and you have plenty of time to experience the surrounding area. If you’re looking for a volunteer opportunity where you’ll work hard, grow personally, and be a part of a supportive community, this is it!

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.

I volunteered through all hands for 2 weeks and I loved every second of it. This program was exactly what I was looking for when looking for disaster relief volunteer work. The staff was incredible and the work we were doing always felt important. Something I find super nice about this program is how affordable they make it, housing is provided by them for the duration of your time with them and food is provided on work days. This gives more people the opportunity to volunteer and allows people to stay for a longer period of time then if they had to pay for their food and housing. I would highly recommend this organization to anyone who has an interest or passion in disaster relief.

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!

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The organization, including the staff is top tier, I really liked being with them, and volunteering with AHAH. The community was amazing, and I hope that I getanother opportunity to volunteer with them on another project.

I was nervous at first to start my first volunteer assignment, but the welcoming people at the North Carolina area made all that go away the first day. The staff and volunteers were very welcoming and very informative.

My years’ long goal of performing humanitarian work came alive the day Hurricane Helene swept ashore upon the US in September 2024. I immediately searched for an NGO, not having any prior knowledge. All Hands and Hearts just seemed to jump out to me. I immediately applied and was accepted to the North Carolina program for November 2024. The staff (33 days in to the disaster) had already secured a large warehouse with over 60 beds (30 bunks) with air mattresses. They also had shower trailers and exterior wash basins, and cook/grilling area established. No small feat I was certain. My first day of work involved “mudding” one (of many) damaged homes. With so many different needs in the community, the staff made certain that we all rotated through different duties every day. In my short 10 days on base, I was honored and proud to learn task and gain skills I never thought imaginable. For instance, basic onsite safety, how to prep a building g for mold sanitization, how to remove baseboard and flooring, how to properly measure damaged drywall for accurate cutting and demolition before sensitization, and the list goes on! Although a tiring and sometimes stressful environment, I would not trade this experience for anything. The needs of a community after a disaster are vast and at times it seems impossible to assist. All Hands has a beautiful way of touching many people within a community. Whether it be gutting, mudding or sanitizing a structure, distributing needed supplies and donations or volunteering to fill staff positions at a struggling local business….this program in NC has established a precious foothold among its survivors. I am proud to be returning to the NC program in March 2025. ♥️

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I was not there for long but during my short time there i had an amazing time! The staff and volonteers was super nice already from the beggining, everyone was really helpfull at site and we did fun activitys like aktion or playing music around the fire after an working day.

Everything, even before departure, was well organised. I really enjoyed my time there, the peoples I met, and the program in itself was really motivating to give my best. I would have stayed longer if it was some space available. Looking forward for another project. Thanks to all the staff for their amazing job

This trip for me was more like a trip rather than just another volunteer opportunity! A lot more than my expectation. I expected it to be an activity but it was a great trip with some great memories with some the most lovely friends I made.

It was such a rewarding month with AHAH and the chance to know international volunteers, staffs and local culture. The org has provided a safe living environment for all, and communicates transparently about what is limited Building a school in a remote area is an intricate project. From the volunteering work, I gained not just construction skills ;), but a fresh perspective, and deeper empathy. Taking the learning to my daily mundane life it was humbling and a hands-on crash course in overcoming constraints with speed and ingenuity too?.

My partner and I had been thinking of volunteering for a couple of years but hadn't found the right one for us. A friend recommended All Hands and Hearts, and as we were then in the USA we signed up for a weeks volunteering. We are both in our 50's and found the work very physical, but incredibly rewarding. We ended up spending a total of 10 weeks and are eagerly looking for other projects we can join and make a difference. The volunteers and staff made the hard work during the day bearable and sometimes really fun! The community welcomed us with open arms and hearts. Seeing the children playing and learning in the school we helped to build just fills us with so much pride and warmth.