Short answer
A live request stays open for up to two hours. If nobody says yes in that window, it closes automatically and you can post a new one. You can have only one live request at a time, so the map never fills with stale asks from someone who already got what they needed.
The facts, in one place
- Two hours is the maximum for a request with no yes.
- One live request per person at a time.
- Closing is automatic. Nothing lingers.
- You can post again as soon as it closes.
Why two hours
Everyday help is time-shaped. A request for a jump start means little four hours later: either you are gone, or you are in real trouble. A window that closes on its own keeps the map honest about what is still live.
Why only one at a time
One live request keeps the ask specific and keeps neighbors from being spread across a queue from the same person. If two things are wrong at once, ask for the one a neighbor can actually solve, and use the official resources for the rest.
- Closing is automatic after two hours.
- Post again right after it closes.
- For anything urgent, do not wait. Call 911.
After a yes
The two-hour window is about finding someone. Once a neighbor says yes, you are in a private chat working it out together. Helpers can apply to be reviewed by our team. Help Me does not run background checks. You can report or block any member at any time.
Help Me is not an emergency service. If someone is in immediate danger, call 911 or your local emergency number.
Questions people actually ask
The two-hour window is about finding someone. Once a neighbor says yes, you are in a private chat working it out together.
Yes. Once the old request closes, you can create a new one.
No. You can have only one live request at a time.
Keep going
- GlossaryA help requestA help request is a short, private ask from the live map. Helpers nearby can say yes. There is no public feed, one live request at a time, two-hour window.
- AnswerWhat happens if nobody says yes?The request closes after two hours and you can try again. For anything urgent, do not wait: call 911 or the right official service.
- AnswerCan I cancel a request?Yes. You can close a request you no longer need. If someone already said yes, tell them in the private chat first: they may already be on the way.
- How it worksHow Help Me worksAsk in one sentence. A neighbor nearby can say yes. You chat privately and meet in a public place. Four steps, for the small stuff in Fargo-Moorhead.
- GuideHow to ask for help without an audiencePost one sentence, not a performance. How to ask a neighbor for a small favor in Fargo, West Fargo, or Moorhead, from the first tap to done.
Help Me is a community app for adults in Fargo–Moorhead. It is not a K–12 student program, not a youth chat, and not campus police.