Throughout the latest generations, community and family life has changed a lot. It is common to be far away from our family members and to not even know who our neighbors are. Individualism and the capacity to solve our own problems are highly valued nowadays. However, there are moments when receiving help from others is more than a blessing: it is vital for of survival.

When to ask for help.

You should know your limits and how it affects the people around you (especially children) that you have reached the end of your rope. We are often worn out and we don’t have the network of family and friends who can support us. Problems that used to be solved as a group now fall on the shoulders of one or two people.

Common examples of these situations are when an elderly member of the family requires special care. In our culture, it is expected that the younger generations take care of the elders. But usually the families who have to take care of the elders are raising small children and have long work days, and then difficult situations may arise.  

Other problems may arise when a family member falls ill and needs help. If there is a financial problem that the family can’t solve by itself, or when a mother has a baby and there is no-one else to give a hand.  

How to ask for help

Keep in mind that even if you don’t have the help of your family and you don’t know other people in your community, there is help available. In order to get help, the first step – as obvious as it may seem – is to know that you need it and ask for it.  Once you’ve got started on this path, you’ll be surprised at all the doors that may open for you.

Besides talking to the people you trust the most, to let them know you need help, try something as simple, but effective, as mailing a personal note to your neighbors or letting them know in person. If your problem is that you can’t leave an elderly person alone in the morning or in the evening, explain this to them and ask them to contact you.  

If you can’t find help nearby or if your problem cannot be solved with the help of other people, use the Internet. Enter your question in the search engine, either in Spanish or in English for more results, and you will surely find some information that will be of help. Do not forget more traditional methods such as checking the yellow pages, calling the town hall, speaking with people in your church or the people in your area.

In this Information Era, someone somehow will give you that help that you need or will point you in the right direction to achieve it. The first step is to ask for it.