answer
How long does a request stay open?
Two hours, one at a time. Here is why both limits exist.
Short answer
A live request stays open for up to two hours. If no approved helper accepts in that window, it closes automatically and you are free to post a new one. You can only have one live request at a time, so the map never fills with stale asks from a person who already got what they needed.
The facts, in one place
- Two-hour maximum on an unaccepted request.
- One live request per person at a time.
- Closing is automatic — nothing lingers.
- You can post again immediately after it closes.
Why two hours
Everyday help is time-shaped. A request for a jump start is meaningless 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 helpers 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.
Questions people actually ask
Does the timer restart when someone accepts?
The two-hour window is about finding a helper. Once someone accepts, you are in a private chat and working it out together.
Can I repost right away?
Yes. Once the old request closes, you can create a new one.
Keep going
glossary
One live request
Help Me allows only one live help request at a time. If nobody accepts within two hours, it closes and you can try again.
glossary
A help request
A Help Me request is a short, private ask from the live map. Eligible approved helpers may get an offer. There is no public feed of your need.
answer
What if nobody accepts my request?
The request closes after up to two hours and you can post again. Nobody is obligated to accept, and official services are the right call for anything urgent.
answer
Can I cancel a request?
Yes. You can close a request you no longer need. If someone already accepted, tell them in the private chat first — they may already be driving toward you.
product
How Help Me works
Ask in a sentence. Approved helpers nearby see it. One accepts. You chat privately and meet in public. Four steps — that is the entire ask.
how-to
How to ask for help without an audience
Post a sentence, not a performance. How to request everyday, non-emergency help in Fargo–Moorhead from approved helpers nearby.
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.