Volunteer in North Carolina with Hurricane Florence Relief | No Program Fee

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All Hands and Hearts - Smart Response effectively and efficiently addresses the immediate and long-term needs of communities impacted by natural disasters. By listening to local people, and deploying our unique model of engaging volunteers to enable direct impact, we rebuild safe, resilient schools, homes and other community infrastructure.

Through community and volunteer engagement, we aim to help families recover faster after natural disasters using our "smart response" strategy. By rebuilding in a disaster resilient way, we prepare them for future events and, through the process, strengthen both volunteers and communities.

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Hurricane Florence made landfall just outside of Wilmington, North Carolina on September 14th. Despite weakening in intensity to a category 1 storm, 90 mph winds uprooted trees and left hundreds of thousands without power. Dumping 18 trillion gallons of rain, Florence is the wettest tropical system to ever hit North and South Carolina. Record breaking rainfall, coupled with storm surge, caused a flooding crisis and emergency evacuations across the Carolinas.

All Hands and Hearts - Smart Response is on the ground in New Bern, North Carolina where officials state that over 4,300 homes and 300 businesses in this area were damaged. Severely impacted by the storm, local government called on our rapid response team to establish a volunteer reception center in the community.

During the response phase of our program, the work consisted of chainsaw, debris removal, mucking and gutting, and sanitation. We have moved into recovery, which means we are focusing on rebuilding. We are primarily doing critical repairs, but we will still be doing some mucking and gutting, and sanitation.


We accept spontaneous volunteers from any background, providing on-the-job training free of charge.


FAQ's:

Does it cost money? Volunteering with All Hands and Hearts is completely free of charge, and we provide accommodation and meals. Keep in mind that you will be responsible for the cost of your travel both to and from the program, meals on your day(s) off, and any costs associated with taking a 3 day break each month away from program.

What are the accommodations like? Accommodations vary by program and the communities we are working within. They are often community centre spaces, churches, or schools, and it’s communal living at its finest! Accommodation is always mixed gender housing, and there are always opportunities for functioning bathrooms and showers. Due to the communal living environment and limited residential space, we advise packing light. As soon as you apply and are confirmed, you will be emailed live information packets full of the most updated information of what to pack, what to expect, and how to get to the base you’ll be volunteering at.

What can I expect on a typical workday? Each day depends on the scope of work that the home or school you are placed on requires. Typical tasks include mucking and gutting, mold sanitation, insulation and drywall insulation, carpentry, and painting. Don’t worry if you have never done this before - we will teach you everything you need to know when you get here! Each work day is from about 8 AM-4 PM, however these hours change depending on the needs of the program you volunteer for. After you return home from the worksite, you will have a chance to unwind, relax, and reflect on your day as a part of our nightly team meetings. Check out our day in the life video to get a feel for volunteering life: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eezh3h3W0Aw

How do I sign up? Read about our program here and click "Volunteer For This Program" to apply: http://bit.ly/VolunteerMatchNC
If you have any questions, please feel free to reach out to our Volunteer Coordination Team at: VOLUNTEER@ALLHANDSANDHEARTS.ORG