Program Reviews

This is a special experience.
Difficult physical work, led by kind & helpful team leaders/ site supervisors who are always willing and wanting to teach you a new skill.
Followed with sharing a spectacularly cooked meal alongside volunteers and staff!

(Sleeping arrangements are very accommodating and comfortable. Shower trailers are surprisingly spacious and accommodating. They have little bikes you can borrow, for adventures or getting around.

Florida Sunset 10/10
Overall experience 15/10

I volunteered with All Hands And Hearts in Poland to help displaced Families from Ukraine. We constructed a living space in the unused attic o a school near the Ukraine border. This work involved waterproofing, installing steel studs, installing fireproof sheetrock painting, and installing flooring. This work was completed by our volunteers, some of whom needed to be trained to complete the individual task. Working together to achieve this goal makes one's heart sing. Meeting, living with, and working with volunteers from all parts of the globe gives you an understanding of who you are and what's important in your life. There is no greater feeling than when you can help someone in need.

As an architect, it is great to work with those they need our help. If you have never volunteered, you should try it , but bring your energy ( you will need it by day 2 ) , your spirit, and your assets. Communal living at night and early morning , mean being polite and respective of everyone's needs not just yours, and our group was very thoughtful and cognizant of everyone's needs from showers to who could help others, even back at base. Someone asked, if you felt better after what you did, and I always reply, I felt like I could not do enough. You go to bed a good tired, you get up early ( but I do anyway ) and get rolling .
The safety on site is very good, and we had a great team leader, Tony. Please bring your organizational skills to keep tools in place and cleaned up for everyone as well as yourself. Tools are expensive everywhere, but more difficult to obtain in certain parts of the world
The team could rotate thru different areas and objectives, for building, you learn how to do things better as a person and as a group.
I would go again and again, the people we are trying to help , actually teach you as well, we are so privileged in our countries , where we do not have bombs dropping on our heads, or where we can obtain food anywhere and everywhere. The people you meet will teach you the grace and dignity of survival, we are performing just a small task in the chain of their events and life. No matter where you go , the experience you come back with will stay with your forever in your mind and soul.

I have been to the Ft Myers program two different times for two weeks each. It was an amazing experience and I plan on joining All Hands for more programs as I'm able to. I am blown away by the work that the program and all the volunteers that I have met. I have met some amazing people who really care about other people and it's great to work as a team. This is more fulfilling than anything else that I have done in my life. The staff that I had the pleasure to meet really go above and beyond in everything I have seen them do.

I've been to many All Hands and Hearts program, and always walk away feeling a refreshed faith in humanity! It was lovely to meet some dedicated volunteers and staff who work hard day in day out to repair homes impacted by the devastating Hurricane Ian. There's a small team in Florida, which made it easy to get to know everyone and felt like family straight away. Not only does this team repair homes, it also builds community. I was there for one week, some were there for just a day or two, and others for months. There is such a nice mix of people from different backgrounds, but all there for the same purpose.

AHAH is a great organization to spend time with. There are lots of repeat volunteers, and all the staff I've met started as volunteers, which says a lot. Food and accommodations are safe and comfortable, all people of all ages are welcome! You can volunteer for just a few days, a few months. People keep coming back year after year. You'll learn so much, and have a real impact in communities around the world. After serving in Puerto Rico in 2019 and Florida in 2022, I cant say enough good things about All Hands and Hearts and will definitly be back for more. Just bring a good attitude!

I was not happy with this program despite making lots of friends who have similar goals as me. There was minimal training, mostly brief on-the-site instructions. Also, some of the PPE doesn't seem to work. For example, I kept feeling dust in my mask despite repeatedly tightening my mask [note, this issue has been brought up with the staff, who have responded to the complaint, thankfully]. Lastly, there is at least one person who made me feel uncomfortable due to his subtle sexist comments that were dropped on more than one occasion. I understand that the staff can't control everyone, but this behavior does not align with the org, which advertised itself as inclusive. Less micro-aggression within the environment would be great, thank you.

My overall experience with the all hands and hearts hurricane laura relief program in Louisiana was pretty interesting i must say i had a couple of problems with two of the team leaders. When i left the program the best part of the program was the volunteering, this program taught me that its not about the people your staying with but its about the people you are helping and thats the big picture i will be volunteering with all hands again but unfortunately not this program.

I have volunteered with All Hands and Hearts in other places and can say that going to Louisiana was one of my better experiences. The accommodation is communal. However, the facility is clean, spacious, has great showers, a place to cook, and is comfortable. The staff on the program are great. They ensure that volunteers are taking care of. They also provide activities for volunteers to do. The volunteers are provided food 5 days a week which is great. The staff will take you to the store if you need grocery items. If you would like to go somewhere on the weekends, there is a way to get around. If the staff are available, they will take you or you can get a Lyft. I really enjoyed my time here and especially love the work they are doing on homes.

I have volunteered with All Hands previously and had great experiences but I have to say that this was the best staff so far. The staff are personable, helpful, knowledgeable, and overall great people. I miss them so much!

During my time in Louisiana I felt that I helped out, contributed, and learned new skills, but also met amazing people. Only if you are an amazing person who wants to volunteer for the right reasons (because I am feeling very protective of this organization and of these people) run, don’t walk, and pull your voluntrigger.