All Hands & Hearts (AH&H) is a U.S. 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. The organization's current structure formed in late 2017, when two existing nonprofits, All Hands Volunteers and Happy Hearts Fund, merged to become All Hands & Hearts. All Hands and Hearts is based in Mattapoisett, Massachusetts.
History All Hands & Hearts was founded in 2017 with the merger of All Hands Volunteers and Happy Hearts Fund.
In 2018, All Hands And Hearts were ranked #1 on the Classy 100, topping a list of fastest-growing NGO's. Since 2014, All Hands and Hearts have been awarded a 4-star rating by Charity Navigator, and AHAH is in the top 10% of all nonprofits evaluated for financial and operational efficiency.
When establishing a presence at a new location following a major disaster, the organization first conducts an assessment, working with local community leadership to establish an effective and sustainable base.
Programs Hurricane Michael Following 2018's Hurricane Michael, volunteers worked in Florida's Bay and Calhoun Counties, with the majority of work focused in the vicinity of Youngstown, Florida. Work undertaken included tree work, debris removal and residential flood cleanup. As needs of the community change, the organization's focus has shifted to gutting homes.
Hurricane Harvey In Texas, the organization responded to the 2017 Hurricane Harvey. During the response phase, AHAH completed an impactful 16-week program in Coastal Bend and 18-week program in Houston. Since February 2018, the nonprofit's commitment to the recovery effort has concentrated on interior repair.
Hurricane Florence In North and South Carolina, volunteers worked in mold remediation and cleanup following Hurricane Florence. Work expanded to include repairs on qualifying homes in Pamlico County and Craven County.
Oaxaca earthquake recovery On September 7, 2017, one of the most lethal earthquakes in Mexican history hit close to the southern state of Chiapas, with a devastating magnitude of 8.2. Just 12 days later and a few hundred miles away, a 7.1 magnitude quake rocked central Mexico, toppling buildings, breaking gas mains, knocking out electricity and sparking fires across Mexico City and other towns in central Mexico. All Hands and Hearts' ongoing presence in Mexico following the devastating earthquakes of 2017 continue with an earthquake recovery program opening in Oaxaca in January 2019. The program is focused on assisting the Celso Muñoz Primary School and Jardin De Niños 13 De Septiembre Preschool, within the state of Oaxaca. Work includes rebuilding and retrofitting classrooms in both schools, along with a number of other school facilities including a library. The completion of both schools will ensure students have safe and disaster-resilient learning spaces.
Hurricane Irma Response in 2017 to Hurricane Irma in the U.S. Virgin Islands required the evacuation of workers. Then came Hurricane Maria, which struck the islands on September 20. Volunteer teams on St. Thomas worked at 12 schools, and on critical roofing repairs. On the St. John, volunteers completed eleven rebuild sites. Work continued in 2019.
All Hands and Hearts worked in Puerto Rico starting in January 2018, responding to the lack of sanitation, potable water and power outages. Volunteers worked to clear debris, muck and clear facilities, homes and infrastructure, assist in sanitation work, gutting damaged areas and preparing sites for rebuild and repair projects. To date over 1,200 individual jobs have been completed with over 24,000 volunteer hours logged.
Nepal earthquake response On April 25, 2015, a 7.8 earthquake hit Nepal near the capital city of Kathmandu; the worst of its kind in more than 80 years. More than 9,000 people lost their lives, a further 23,000 were injured, and there was major destruction of homes and infrastructure. The earthquake resulted in more than 5,000 schools being damaged or completely destroyed. On May 12, 2015, a second 7.3 earthquake struck the country, causing further devastation and loss of lives. 72 hours after the first earthquake, All Hands and Hearts was on the ground assisting the affected communities.
All Hands and Heart's Nepal Earthquake Recovery program reopened in October following the 2018 monsoon season with volunteers rebuilding and repairing schools in the Sindhuli district. The program focused on rebuilding the Shree Ma Vii School, the Shree Uccha Ma Vii School and the Saraswati school. Following the completion of work on the Uccha Ma Vii school, a fourth school was taken on: Jana Jagriti Secondary School. Efforts are focused on providing disaster-resilient classrooms, appropriate toilets and installing water filtration systems for safe drinking water.
Closed programs
2018 In September 2017, Hurricane Maria devastated large areas of Dominica. It was reported that over 90% of structures on the island suffered damage, with widespread loss of electricity and basic facilities. In response, All Hands and Hearts launched a relief program in April 2018, focused on restoring education to the children of Dominica, in particular the rebuild of the Paix Bouche Primary School. When completed, the school is expected to serve 78 students, with over 200 projected over the next 10 years. The school is also envisioned to provide shelter against future storms, both for students and the local community.
Hurricanes Irma and Maria bombarded the British Virgin Islands in September 2017. The islands were subjected to some of the strongest winds in recorded history, decimating the beautiful islands and causing extensive damage to homes, schools, community facilities and utilities across the islands. All Hands and Hearts launched a program help impacted children on the island of Tortola. A number of schools and care facilities were outlined as needing immediate support, with volunteers helping to clear debris and prepare sites for rebuilds. As the program has progressed through 2018, community programs have been started, with several homes cleared of debris and made safe.
In June 2018, heavy tropical rainfall hit the south Texas coastline, causing severe flash floods and widespread disruption. All Hands and Hearts assessed the ongoing situation and in response set up an immediate response program in Hidalgo county. The volunteer team are currently working with local communities to muck and gut homes, clear debris and assist in sanitation and relief in the affected areas.
On September 19, 2017, a magnitude 7.1 earthquake struck central Mexico. Widespread destruction and disruption occurred with thousands of homes, school and community buildings either destroyed or damaged. in March 2018, All Hands and Hearts opened a program in Morelos with the goal of restoring education to children in the region. The organization worked alongside Happy Hearts Fund Mexico to reconstruct the Narciso Mendoza Primary school, completed in September 2018. Additionally, work at the Vicente Guerrero Primary School was completed in October 2018. The completion of both schools ensured that students have a safe, disaster-resilient school long after the end of the program.
2017 In March 2017, All Hands and Hearts launched a relief program in Peru in response to the widespread and devastating flooding which had affected much of the country since late 2016. A program was launched in the eastern area of Peru, in the district of Piura Province. Volunteers worked to remove mud and debris from homes and schools, some of which were found to be almost entirely filled with mud. In August 2017, All Hands and Hearts began the next stage of the program, to rebuild a number of schools, the first of which has since been completed. Further projects are continuing in Yapatera, including school builds, English lessons, community outreach programs and schemes focused on empowering women in the local area. An estimated 2,000 students have been returned to education, with over 3,000 people impacted as a result of the program.
In September 2017, Hurricanes Maria and Irma devastated large areas of the Caribbean including the British and US Virgin Islands, Puerto Rico and Dominica leading to widespread damage, loss of electricity and basic facilities. All Hands and Hearts began a response program in St Thomas that month and continued to monitor the situation elsewhere during the ongoing hurricane season. Programs were launched in the British Virgin Islands, Puerto Rico, St. John, and Dominica in 2018.
All Hands and Hearts' ongoing presence in Nepal resumed following the end of monsoon season in October 2017. Efforts were centered on retrofitting and upgrading school buildings and facilities, alongside one full rebuild. By the time the program closed at the start of the monsoon season in May 2018, the Jalpa Devi, Kalikasaran, Nibugan, Manakamana and Dhauleshwori schools were completed, ensuring children have disaster-resilient facilities, including WaSH stations. Alongside the response and recovery work, a number of community projects were run, including language lessons and the training of female masons.
2016 In January 2016, winter storms resulted in several tornadoes and severe flooding affecting St Louis, Missouri. All Hands and Hearts responded to the urgent need for debris removal, sanitation and clearing of damaged infrastructure.
In August 2016, heavy flooding severely affected the state of Louisiana. Extremely heavy rainfall resulted in flash flood warnings and the destruction or damage of over 60,000 homes, displacing over 8,000 people. All Hands and Hearts launched a relief program on August 18, focusing on clearing debris, assisting in sanitation projects and removing flood damaged structures. Efforts were centered in Denham Springs where 90% of homes and business were affected. Volunteer teams also worked in the Baton Rouge area.
The ongoing earthquake relief program in Nepal continued to be heavily active throughout 2016, with a number of school projects being completed in Nuwako and Kathmandu.
In October 2016, Hurricane Matthew struck the Caribbean and southern United States with North Carolina, Haiti and Florida being worst hit. Widespread flooding and storm damage was reported across much of the region, prompting a relief response to be launched on October 6, aimed at clearing debris, fallen trees, preparing rebuild sites and environmental cleanups Domestic efforts were centred in North Carolina and Florida.
2015 Two years after Superstorm Sandy, All Hands opened its third rebuild project in Brooklyn, New York, in January to help those whose homes were damaged by the hurricane. Similar to reconstruction on Staten Island, the work included minor framing, drywall installation, mudding and taping, and painting.Volunteers continue clean up efforts in Midland Beach | SILive.com
On April 25, a 7.8 earthquake struck Nepal, followed by a major 7.3 aftershock on May 12. Over 9,000 people were killed, with over 23,000 injured. Mass devastation to infrastructure, homes and further loss of life followed. All Hands and Hearts deployed a team of disaster response experts to help distribute goods and coordinate local volunteer efforts. Teams then began working in Kathmandu and Sindhupalchowk District clearing debris and demolishing unsafe structures. This work was followed by building temporary learning centers and homes. Since work began in 2015, All Hands and Hearts have led programs rebuilding eight schools throughout the Nuwakot, Sindhupalchowk, Thulo and Kathmandu regions, directly impacting around 8,000 children. Over 20,000 people have been positively impacted over the course of the program's duration, which resumed in late 2017 following the monsoon season. All Hands and Hearts continue to be focused on returning school facilities to local children, with the latest project in Haibung nearing completion as of March 2018.
2014