Lotsa Help From Lotsa Helping Hands

You can't drive or walk far. Or do the laundry. Or make dinner. You can't even pick up the kids. If you've ever suffered from a debilitating illness, or were placed on bed rest to recover from surgery, then you know how hard it is to continue a normal routine — especially if you have to raise kids.

But, there are things you can do to prepare for disaster or emergencies. You can make sure you have sufficient health and life insurance. You can build up a savings account for these rainy days. But there are some things you really can't plan. For example, how are you going to bake a chicken when you can't open the oven door? Or, how are you going to do the laundry when you can't lift the laundry basket? Insurance and savings accounts are not going to pick up your kids from school. So, what's a recovering person to do? Chris Flitter faced this dilemma when the doctors decided brain surgery was the only way to treat her symptoms. It takes months to recover from brain surgery, so this is when friends, family, and neighbors step in and do what they can.

Friends and families always have good intentions to help out. But someone needs to plan, coordinate, and keep the schedules straight. For example, someone wants to bring dinner over, but they don't know which day. Someone else might want to help clean the house, but again, when's the best time to do this? And everyone wants to be kept informed on the status of the recovery. Sure, Flitter could send emails and make phone calls to ensure everyone is well-informed. But, that's a lot of work for someone who is recovering from brain surgery. Heck, that's a lot of work for anyone in any situation. Thank goodness there's a web site like Lotsa Helping Hands.

"Lotsa Helping Hands has been a life saver for our family. I had brain surgery two months ago and a friend of mine set it up for me. She sent an email out to my list and asked people to sign up if they would like to help me. We really needed help with meals four times a week and occasional laundry help." Chris went on to explain, "The calendar function is incredibly user-friendly and when people sign up for a date it emails them a reminder a week before, the day before, and the day-of to remind them of their task." This functionality removes the burden of schedule-keeping and automates the whole process. "For me, it has been great to know that I don't have to worry about reminding everyone."

Flitter's friend, Kirsten Jones, found the site and took right to it, "It was easy for a non-techie to set up and maintain. Actually, the site pretty much maintained itself once it was launched. Not only did it help me in coordinating support for my friend and her family, but was a wonderful communication tool for her to keep friends and family far and near up-to-date on her progress."

Lotsa Helping Hands does much more then send out email reminders. Chris says, "I also enjoy using the announcements and photo section. The announcement feature allows me to update people on my progress. You can also attach photos and people can post well wishes." Not everyone feels comfortable asking other people to help, but if you're fortunate enough to be surrounded by people who do want to contribute, then "Lotsa Helping Hands takes over managing it and makes it easier for friends and family to help."

The service is free but the organization does rely on contributions to keep the lights on.

Flitter considers the tool critical in her recovery. "It's been amazingly helpful, and in fact, I just recommended it for another family."