Where was this service when my daughter was sick?

Heroes for Children has just teamed up with Lotsa Helping Hands. It's an online community families, friends, and supporters can set up for a loved one to help support. People can create an online community for a loved one to help get meals coordinated, carpool ran, and even playdates for other kids. Where was this service when my daughter was sick? What an incredible thing to provide for families! Did I mention it is FREE to users?

One thing I have found to be true is that the inability to fix the problem is what creates such anxiety in supporters and loved ones of those sick. Helplessness sets in when we watch someone suffer without the ability to make a difference. Until my father passed away, I didn't understand why people brought meals to others. I get it now--simple as they are, meals mean a lot. Every time someone brought a meal to my family, some of their feeling of helplessness was alleviated. That was their contribution and way to help my family. And yes, it made a big, HUGE difference. It was one less stress in my life. I didn't have the time, energy, and opportunity to leave my daughter in the hospital to get my meals each night. Since we lived in the hospital the entire duration of her cancer treatment, I depended on those nightly meals brought by friends and even strangers to keep me going.

It was only three years ago that we were asking friends to help bring meals. My sweet mother in law opened her own e-mail account to manage the e-mail traffic of generous supporters wanting to do their part. Often after spending hours visiting her sick granddaughter in the hospital, she would her evenings sifting through e-mails, sending reminders to those that signed up to bring a meal, and coordinating a calendar (of course, while this was going on, my own mother was home after hours in the hospital washing all our clothes each week!). How great would it have been for my MIL to simply have an online community that she managed? Once a supporter signs up for a meal delivery, the Lotsa Helping Hands site sends email reminders of their commitments, books the calendar dates, and updates with any changes to the calendar. It's easy, free, simple to use with a big impact for those receiving the service. How much better can it get?

What a convenience being offered to families!