Requests, Needs Met, and Verifications are core Love INC community-assistance records. They help your team track what someone asked for, what information or eligibility was checked, and what help was ultimately provided.
New to how these fit with Service Received? Start with How Requests, Needs Met & Service Received Fit Together for the full picture.
A request records an expressed need before anything is provided. Examples include food, a bed for a child, transportation help, rent assistance, or another practical need.
Use requests to track:
• Request type.
• Client or neighbor.
• Request date.
• Request status.
• Description or context.
• Related needs met, referral, voucher, or service records.
By default, the Requests list shows columns in this order: Request Type, Client, Request Status, Request Date, and Description. Putting the request type and client up front makes it easier to scan the list and tell requests apart at a glance. The Household column stays available but sits further back in the default column order since it is used less often when triaging requests. See Adding and Customizing Columns in a List if you want to reorder columns or add other fields.
A verification records that a piece of information or eligibility was checked before assistance is provided. Examples include identity, income, residency, permission, or another requirement your organization uses. Verifications support a request — they confirm eligibility, but they are not help themselves.
Use verifications to track:
• What was checked.
• Whether permission was given.
• Verification date.
• Outcome.
• Who approved or completed the check.
Needs Met records what your organization actually provided to fulfill a request. You add a Needs Met directly onto the Request, Voucher, or Referral it satisfies (create one of those first).
Use Needs Met to track:
• Needs met type.
• Needs met date.
• Count or quantity when applicable.
• The adults and children served — the household members this help reached.
When you save a Needs Met and choose the adults and children served, CoolFocus creates a Service Received for each of those people — the per-person record used to count individuals served. See Service Received.
Separating the request (the ask), the verification (the check), and the needs met (the help provided) gives your team a clear history and better reporting. It also mirrors how assistance actually happens: the household asks, you confirm eligibility, you meet the need, and each person served is counted.
