Program Reviews

My wife and I volunteered together for two weeks and then I came back for two months. The whole goal was to make a difference for the people of Puerto Rico and I feel that we accomplished that goal. But all the while we were volunteering, I felt like I gained from the experience more than what I put in to it. The other volunteers and staff are so amazing and inclusive that we are looking for more opportunities to volunteer with them in the future.

If you have the time (I know most people's time, as mine, is, important), this is one organization that you have to try. You will not regret it and will walk away with a sense of giving and a your heart enlarged.

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.

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.

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!

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.

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.

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.

I'd really enjoyed my experience here with all hands and hearts. I have struggled with the communal living space and lack of privacy if you need it. The people on a whole are epic and I've learnt so much from every single one of them. I wish there was a little more constructive training prior to going to a work site. Clear instruction on site is something I think would make each project on a house run much more smoothly. Everyone coming to volunteer is an adult and so a guide outlining the processes would make sure each individual is knows their role within the team and working to produce a goal which would be more time efficient and productive overall.
I was quite overwhelmed at first by how many people were here and found it quite intimidating entering into such a big group who mostly already knew each other.
I wish there was a better chill space with comfortable sofa and tv.