Helppoa

Helppoa is a community-driven online platform that coordinates informal assistance between neighbors, volunteers, and community organizations. The service enables users to post requests for help with everyday tasks—such as errands, home maintenance, or tutoring—and to connect with volunteers who can provide assistance. Helppoa emphasizes accessibility, safety, and local engagement, and operates in multiple languages.

Helppoa was founded in 2019 in Helsinki, Finland, by a cooperative of volunteers and technologists seeking to strengthen local support networks. The project is governed as a member-owned platform with volunteer participation in governance, development, and moderation. It is funded through donations and grants, with additional support from partner non-profits.

Functionally, users create profiles, post task listings with timing and location, and receive proposals from volunteers. The platform includes a messaging system, scheduling tools, and a rating mechanism to foster trust. To protect safety and privacy, Helppoa maintains conduct guidelines, offers optional identity verification, and provides reporting tools for unsafe behavior.

Impact and reception: since its launch, Helppoa has expanded to multiple cities and countries, often complementing paid services for low-income households and strengthening community resilience. Assessments of its effects indicate improvements in social connectedness and volunteer engagement, though outcomes vary with local governance and participation.

See also: Online volunteering, Community organizing, Neighbourhood networks.