BEHIND THE SCENES: OUR FINANCIAL STEWARDS

All around the world, All Hands and Hearts (AHAH)’s dedicated program staff members facilitate daily operations for our volunteer programs. However, equally important are the off-program staff members who ensure the organization’s financial stability, allowing us to respond to new disasters and make a lasting impact on areas long forgotten by the media. The Finance Department and Development Team work closely together to ensure each and every donor dollar is spent efficiently and effectively, maximizing the value returned to the community. Stewardship is a guiding organizational value; we responsibly manage our resources to maximize the percentage of funds spent directly serving impacted communities. Our operating model is intentionally safe, sufficient and streamlined. 

In this edition of “The People Who Make Us” series, we spotlight a member from each of these essential teams, responsible for AHAH’s financial stewardship.

MEET CRISTY AND LYES

HOW DID YOU GET STARTED WITH AHAH?

CRISTY, CORPORATE RELATIONS MANAGER

“Andrea, my sister, introduced me to AHAH. It was during COVID, I was in Colombia and I lost my job, so Andrea offered me to live with her in New York for a few weeks.

It became a couple of months, but COVID wasn’t getting better. Andrea is subscribed to the Alumni Newsletter, and she found out there were some people volunteering during COVID, and the programs in The Bahamas, California and Mexico were open. She encouraged me to apply, so I applied to join AHAH’s Bahamas Hurricane Relief program. I spent Christmas and New Years with Andrea, with the excitement of volunteering abroad for the first time.

I remember thinking how lucky I was to get accepted into a program that I otherwise wouldn’t be able to afford. Thanks to the sponsorship I received from the DM12 program, I was able to join.“

LYES, BUSINESS ANALYST

“I started with AHAH by pure luck and I am always thankful for that. I was looking for a position that could give me a sense of purpose and a friend told me about AHAH’s Guatemala Hurricane Relief program. It was quite scary for me to take such a leap of faith and travel to another country to work for an organization I didn’t know previously, but I realize now that it couldn’t have happened any differently. I don’t really believe in destiny, but it was certainly meant to happen. In AHAH I found a place full of amazing people I could support with my knowledge on finance to achieve shared goal.“

HOW HAS YOUR ROLE IN THE ORGANIZATION CHANGED?

CRISTY

“When I arrived at the program, I wanted to enjoy the experience as a volunteer. But deep down, I knew I wanted to be like those strong female staff leaders I met on the program, such as Chloe and Anna F. In my first cohort, I was a happy, hardworking first-time volunteer, getting used to life on the program and my hands were getting used to the power tools. I applied for different roles within the organization because I had found a happy place in AHAH’s base life. After several interviews and applications, I secured the position of DM12 training coordinator.“

LYES

“On my first program in Guatemala, I held the role of Finance Coordinator. I later held the same position in The Bahamas and in Mexico. Each program was quite different and brought its own challenges, but the Mexico program was really different because there I also started working as a Business Analyst. Taking cash out of the ATM, paying the vendor and finally seeing the data online and working with it weeks later really gave me a full picture of how our processes worked and what we could do to improve them. Now that I work off-program I am happy to have had every single one of these experiences, because they give me a clear picture of what is going on in every program I am able to support.“

WHY DID YOU CHOOSE TO WORK FOR AHAH?

CRISTY

“I have chosen to work for AHAH five times already, and I couldn’t have made a better decision. I’m thrilled to work for an organization that promotes well-being and has such remarkable individuals that people look up to as role models. I love learning from leaders I’ve had the pleasure to work with – these are outstanding individuals from diverse backgrounds who give their best every day.“

LYES

“During my early days as an economist, I worked in investing and consulting and none of these jobs really fulfilled me. Maybe it was the company, maybe it was the time, but the one thing I was sure I was lacking was a sense of purpose. I like working with AHAH because it doesn’t matter if I have to stay longer to finish a report, or go onsite on a Sunday to pour concrete, I will do it happily knowing that I helped change things for the better – at least a little bit.“

WHAT HAVE YOU WORKED ON WITHIN YOUR TIME AT AHAH THAT YOU ARE MOST PROUD OF?

CRISTY

“Working with volunteers is something I love. Connecting with people who decide to join our programs is a unique experience, as each person has something special to offer to the communities we work with. The knowledge they gain from their time in the program encourages them to contribute something special to their own communities back home.

Now, I’m on a different adventure working with corporations.“

LYES

“During our time in The Bahamas, the Project Manager asked me if I would like to create a mural for the Community Center we were helping. I know how to draw in a very basic way and I had never helped create a mural before (and even less so of that size), but the team trusted me and gave me their support.

I spoke with the Community Center president and she requested a mural with pines and the colors of their flag (black, blue and yellow). We had a week to finish this mural and at the beginning it seemed quite impossible to do, but a group of amazing volunteers and construction staff members helped me finish it by staying until very late in the not-so friendly heat of The Bahamas.

For me, this demonstrated a key principle of our organization: even after completing a major project with multiple facets, we remain committed to improving and enhancing it.“

Are you interested in joining the All Hands and Hearts community? Check out our current job vacancies here and current volunteer opportunities here.

Already volunteered with AHAH? Stay connected through our alumni network and be part of a community that continues to make a difference, today and tomorrow. Learn more here.