About
There’s a growing awareness in our society that much of what gives meaning to our lives is our engagement in, and support from, our communities.
Lotsa Helping Hands was created in response to this desire for more meaningful civic engagement. In our demanding, technologically advanced and constantly changing world, we have sometimes diminished the role that community has always played in the human spirit. Yet today, many are waking up to this absence and re-energizing their commitment to “community,” learning more about the role they can play to enhance it—whether “community” refers to their close family and friends, their schools or their local neighborhood or town. Lotsa Helping Hands provides a platform for this awakening; using the tools of the virtual world to enrich the lives we share with our families, friends, neighbors and colleagues.
How We Achieve Our Vision
We use technology to bring people together—to help people who are experiencing the challenges of caring for someone in crisis or over a long-term period. They may have difficulty asking for help. Or they may be overwhelmed with offers of help, with requests for update requests or returning phone calls. Conversely, family members, friends, neighbors and colleagues want to do something, but they aren’t sure what they can do or how they can best lend a hand.
We help caregivers by giving their “circles of community” a way to help. Friends, neighbors, and colleagues can create a free Community web site to help manage the daily tasks that become a challenge during times of need and keep everyone up to date on what’s happening.
A Personal Beginning
Lotsa Helping Hands was founded out of a personal family caregiving experience. When Barry Katz’s wife Carole was diagnosed with ovarian cancer, he was overwhelmed with offers of help. When Carole lost her battle with cancer, he and his best friend Hal Chapel founded Lotsa Helping Hands to help family caregivers in similar situations.
The service was created with a real-life understanding of how to bring together a variety of social circles and what the resulting group as a whole might need. Today, we have more than 750,000 members who have participated in Lotsa Helping Hands communities.We Believe In:
- Providing a service that is and always will be free to our members
- Delivering a service that is simple to use—no special knowledge or training required! (But we offer free webinars)
- Protecting the privacy and security of every Community and every member
- Keeping in touch with you to hear your feedback and stories
Beginning Your Community
It takes about 60 seconds to create a Community web site. Create one today. Or learn more about how it works and how to choose the coordination service that’s right for your Community.
We welcome all of our members to share their stories with us and on our Facebook Page.
Our newsletter brings tips and resources directly to you and your community—subscribe today!
If you are a member of the media, please visit our media page.
Have questions? Contact us at info@lotsahelpinghands.com
Interested in volunteering? Let us know.
