Caregiving is hard. Asking for help shouldn’t be. That’s why we’re excited to introduce Requests, a new CaringBridge feature that helps caregivers and families clearly share what they need—and makes it easier for their community to step in and help. Whether you’re navigating a serious illness, injury, or recovery journey, one thing is always true: it takes a village. And now, there’s a simpler way to activate yours.  What Is the Requests Feature?  Requests is a new tool on CaringBridge that allows caregivers, patients, or loved ones to post specific needs—like help with meals, transportation, errands, childcare, and more—directly to their CaringBridge page. The feature replaces the CaringBridge Planner, offering a simpler, more flexible experience based on feedback from our users. Key benefits:  Clear and customizable requests  Easy for friends and family to see where help is needed  Integrated with your existing CaringBridge updates  Available now on desktop and iOS Why We Built It: How to Ask for Help as a Caregiver  One of the most common things we hear from caregivers is that it’s hard to ask for help, even when help is badly needed. But why is it so hard to ask for help? As a CaringBridge user said: “It’s always frustrating when people would say, ‘let me know how I can help.’ I’d be like, I don’t even know where to start.” Requests helps solve that. It empowers you to share your needs on your own terms, at your own pace, and without the stress of individual outreach. Now, there’s a place to start.  What Requests Solves  Requests was designed with caregivers in mind, addressing key challenges faced during a health journey:  Reduces the emotional burden of asking for help - No more uncomfortable texts or repeated explanations. With Requests, your ask is clearly posted and visible to the people who want to support you.  Clarifies and organizes care needs - From one-time asks to ongoing needs, Requests makes it simple to manage logistics in one place.  Makes it easy for supporters to take action – Your community doesn’t want to guess how to help; they want to know. Requests removes the guesswork.  Increases connection with your community – When people know exactly how to help someone in practical ways, they’re likelier to engage and stay connected.  What Kinds of Help Can You Request?  Caregivers have already been using Requests to ask for:  Meals – Help coordinating dinners for the week  Transportation – Rides to appointments or school pickups  Childcare – A sitter for a few hours during treatment  Errands – Grocery runs, pet care, house tasks  Anything else – The “Other” category is the largest so far—proving that every caregiving journey is unique.  Part of a Growing Ecosystem of Support Requests is one more way to get help through our Ways to Help section, which includes trusted tools like:  Meal Train® – Set up meal schedules with ease  GoFundMe – Raise funds for medical expenses  Instacart – Send groceries directly  Gift Cards – Provide flexible financial support  These tools work together to surround caregivers with the practical, emotional, and financial support they need, while offering friends and family practical ways to help someone on a health journey.  Start Using Requests Today  If you're a caregiver, family member, or patient with a CaringBridge page – or if you’re starting your very first page – now is the time to explore Requests. Visit your page, click “Ways to Help,” and let your community know exactly how to support you.