Beyond “Thoughts And Prayers”: Actionable Tips To Truly Help A Friend In Need

When someone you love is in need, thoughts and prayers are expected. But sometimes you have to get your hands dirty to truly help a friend in need.

You are overwhelmed with life and need but don't want to ask for help. Maybe you just had a baby. Perhaps you recently lost a loved one. Maybe you are going through a bout of depression and just can’t bring yourself to do everything that needs to be done. And yet - you convince yourself that you are invisible. You feel like you should be able to do everything, even if you know you cannot. That is when a good friend, relative, or neighbor steps in to add a little bit of sunshine to your life by taking something off your plate.

My sister lives two and a half hours away from where she is being treated for the C-word. She and her husband have to make frequent trips to Fox Chase Cancer Center in Northeast Philly. The care is amazing, but the travel takes a huge toll on their minds, their diet, and their wallet. In an effort to give them a little bit of comfort, I spent last weekend making them homemade dinners.

Jeff Kurkjian, of The Andie Summers Show, knows this is a great idea because his wife Emily recently had a baby. When they brought little McKinley home from the hospital, their neighbor stopped by with a tray of homemade lasagna, a big salad with croutons, and two bottles of wine. Jeff said that food lasted them about two weeks.

Donnie, The Andie Summers Show producer, chimed in that food is great, but a person can only eat so much pasta. Donnie recently lost his mom. While he is incredibly appreciative of the food loved ones brought by, he was also grateful for the DoorDash gift cards he received for a change of pace.

XTU Nation stepped up to the task. You called to share some great ideas for creative food items and other ways to help out a loved one in need. Thank you so much for the following …

Suzette has been in this situation before. She said when a loved one of hers falls on hard times she goes right to the kitchen. She loves bringing over a piping hot tray of chicken cutlets, mashed potatoes, and green beans. Who doesn't love that?!
Her other go-to is this chicken stuffing casserole. It's easy and oh, so delish!

When Kim needed a little extra help her sister, who lives out of town, sent her the most amazing care package. Kim said she received a huge box filled with love! Love in the form of soup. Yum. Kim said the soup tasted homemade and came with a ladle and other goodies to comfort her. She said that the box of love made her feel like her sister sent her a hug.

We were able to track down the company Kim's sister ordered from. Looks like it's Spoonful of Comfort.

Jeanne is the one who told us about Spoonful of Comfort. She swears by it! Jeanne told us that her father passed after a long battle with ALS. After his death, someone sent Jeanne a gift box from Spoonful of Comfort and it provided so much comfort that she gives it to two types of people those who need a little help, like she did, and those who are celebrating! Jeanne said these boxes make great birthday/anniversary and birth gifts, too!

When you find out someone you care about is in need of long-term help, Sara said a great option is Meal Train. Meal Train is a website that allows you to send a link to others in your group (i.e. club, classroom, team, church) and have people sign up to make and send a particular meal on a particular day. This is a nice option if you know someone will be down and out for an extended period of time, because they won't get all the food at one time. This post proves our world is filled with good people ...

Casey really thinks outside the box. She doesn’t make food, she cleans up for her loved ones! Casey explained that when you have a baby, are sick, or are grieving a loved one, the last thing you want to do is clean the bathroom, do the dishes, and tidy up after your visitors. Just think of how easy and affordable it is to visit your loved one's home. Spend some quality time together, and when you go to the restroom, clean it! And then clean the dishes and tidy up the kitchen before you leave. Cleaning is so much easier when you are doing it for someone else. Great idea, Casey!

This will help you get started ...

Linda’s husband passed eight years ago. She was left with children from toddlers to teenagers and those days after his passing were rough. Linda told us about the amazing neighbor she had who brought over cold cuts and cheese, bread and rolls, and all the trimmings so the kids could make their own sandwiches. The neighbor also brought activities for the kids to work on to get their minds off of their loss and keep them occupied while Linda did what she had to do. She said she loved seeing her kids working together on a puzzle, playing a board game, or just coloring. 

This 1,000-piece puzzle will keep anyone occupied for DAYS!