Debra East uses the saying "Many hands make light work" to describe how a Web site helped her deal with her close friend's cancer diagnosis.

Lotsahelpinghands.com allowed East to find volunteers to drive Leslie van Barselaar to doctor's appointments, cook her family meals or feed animals on her ranch.

Even though van Barselaar lives with her husband, East said it would be "cruel" to let him take care of everything.

"It really takes a team to help a person going through this," East said.

The Lander resident assembled her team on lotsahelpinghands.com. First, she created an online community for van Barselaar and invited coworkers, friends and family to join it.

Some would just be available to read updates on van Barselaar's progress and offer their well wishes on message boards, while others would be able to sign up on a calendar to offer their services.

The calendar sorts out all the help van Barselaar and her husband could use during the month by time and date and tells people exactly what the couple needs.

"People struggle to know if what they are doing is helpful," said Kathy Huff, one of Barselaar's coworkers. "This keeps you updated and informed."

The calendar is the "heart and soul" of the Web site, said founder Barry Katz, who is based in Massachusetts. It lets people "coordinate the outpouring of help."

He started this project about three and a half years ago after his wife passed away from ovarian cancer.

"I would come home from work, and I would have 15 calls to return and there would be two meals on the counter," Katz said.

When the coordinator of the community posts something new on the site, an e-mail is sent to everyone in the private community. A person has to be invited by someone already in the community in order to join.

Before forming the online community, East said she would have to make 10 calls or send out 10 e-mails just to get one thing done. Also, volunteers can choose what tasks fit their schedule and talents.

The site keeps her friend from becoming overwhelmed with visitors popping in and people always asking how they can help. East said van Barselaar can spend more time resting and healing.

Van Barselaar discovered she had stage-four rectal cancer in May. She has finished chemotherapy and radiation and will have surgery some time in the next few months.

East said her first reaction was to cry, but then she realized "worry never cured cancer." She asked around for cancer resources and came across the Lance Armstrong Foundation's Web site, which directed her to lotsahelpinghands.com.

Their online community now has 47 members with about 10 of them in Lander helping out regularly.

Katz said there are about 12,000 communities on the Web site across the country. He said religious organizations and schools are starting to use it to coordinate their volunteer efforts through the calendar system.

"People can offer help through the privacy of their own home," Katz said. "There's not someone calling them all the time or twisting their arm to do it. It's true giving."

Contact health reporter Allison Rupp at (307) 266-0534 or allison.rupp@trib.com.

Log on

To create your own community of helping hands for someone in need or coordinate your volunteer efforts, visit www.lotsahelpinghands.com and follow directions to get started.

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