NearPew is a free mutual aid platform designed for Catholic parish communities. It helps connect parishioners who need help with those who can provide it, fostering stronger faith-based communities.

Yes, NearPew is completely free for parishes and parishioners. There are no hidden fees, premium tiers, or charges of any kind.

What parishes can use NearPew?

Any Catholic parish in the United States can use NearPew. The platform supports both English and Spanish to serve diverse communities.

What types of help can be shared on NearPew?

Common needs include rides to Mass, meal assistance for families in need, prayer requests, home repairs, companionship visits, and general volunteer coordination.

How does NearPew protect privacy?

NearPew uses privacy levels so members can control who sees their requests. Contact information is only shared when members choose to connect. All data is encrypted and stored securely.

Who manages a parish on NearPew?

Each parish has admins (usually parish staff or trusted volunteers) who can approve new members and manage the community.

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Privacy Policy

Last updated: February 2026

Your Data at a Glance

We believe in transparency. Here's a quick overview of how we handle your information.

What We Collect

Data	Purpose	Who Can See
Email	Sign-in	Admins
Display Name	Identification	Community members
Phone (optional)	Contact	Admins only
Needs/Offers	Core feature	Community members
Prayer Requests	Core feature	Community members

Privacy Controls You Have

✓Post needs anonymously — your name is hidden
✓Post needs anonymously to keep your name private
✓Leave any community at any time
✓Request deletion of all your data

How We Protect Your Data

🔒Sensitive fields (phone, address) are encrypted at rest
📋Access to sensitive data is logged
🏠Data is isolated by community — members only see their own parish
🚫No third-party tracking or ad networks
💰No data is sold, ever

Who Can See What

Role	Can See
Community Member	Public needs, offers, prayers in their parish
Admin	All of the above + sensitive needs, member emails/phones

About Admin Access

To be fully transparent: As the developer, I have technical access to the database. This means I can see data if I look.

What I commit to:

• I will not sell or share your data with anyone
• I will not access individual data except to fix bugs or respond to support requests
• I built this as a service to the Church, not to monetize

If this level of access is a concern for your parish, I understand. Feel free to contact me to discuss.

Delete Your Data

You can request deletion of all your data at any time. Go to Settings → Delete Account, or email us directly.

Questions?

Email: support@nearpew.org

Full Privacy Policy

Last updated: February 2026

Introduction

NearPew ("we," "our," or "us") is committed to protecting your privacy. This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, disclose, and safeguard your information when you use our mutual aid coordination service.

This service is intended for users located in the United States. By using NearPew, you agree to the collection and use of information in accordance with this policy.

Information We Collect

Information You Provide

Account Information: Email address, display name, and optionally your full name
Profile Information: Phone number, address, city, state, and ZIP code (all optional)
Community Content: Needs you post, offers you make, and messages related to matches
Preferences: Language preference, notification settings

Information Collected Automatically

Log data (IP address, browser type, access times)
Device information
Usage data (pages viewed, actions taken)

How We Use Your Information

We use the information we collect to:

Provide and maintain the service
Connect members who need help with those who can provide it
Send notifications about matches, membership, and service updates
Improve and personalize your experience
Ensure the security and integrity of the service
Comply with legal obligations

Information Sharing

We share your information only in these limited circumstances:

With Admins: Community admins can see your name and, after a match is confirmed, your contact information to facilitate help
With Matched Helpers: When you're matched with someone, they will see the information needed to provide help
Service Providers: We use trusted third parties for hosting, email, and analytics
Legal Requirements: When required by law or to protect rights and safety

We do not sell your personal information.

Data Security

We implement appropriate security measures to protect your information, including:

Encryption of data in transit (HTTPS)
Encryption of data at rest
Application-level encryption of sensitive fields (phone, address)
Regular security audits
Access controls and audit logging

Your Rights

You have the right to:

Access: Request a copy of your personal data
Correction: Update or correct your information
Deletion: Request deletion of your account and data
Export: Download your data in a portable format
Opt-out: Unsubscribe from non-essential communications

California Residents (CCPA/CPRA)

If you are a California resident, you have additional rights:

Right to know what personal information we collect and how we use it
Right to delete your personal information
Right to opt-out of the sale of personal information (we do not sell data)
Right to non-discrimination for exercising your privacy rights

To exercise these rights, please contact us at or use the settings page in your account.privacy@nearpew.org

Data Retention

Active accounts: Data retained while account is active
Completed needs/matches: Archived after 90 days, deleted after 2 years
Deleted accounts: Soft deleted for 30 days, then permanently removed
Audit logs: Retained for 2 years for security purposes

Children's Privacy

NearPew is not intended for users under 18 years of age. We do not knowingly collect information from children. If you believe we have collected information from a child, please contact us immediately.

Cookies

We use essential cookies to maintain your session and preferences. We do not use third-party tracking cookies. If we use analytics, we use privacy-respecting services that do not track individuals across sites.

For a complete list of cookies, their purposes, and our third-party service providers, please see our Cookie Policy.

Third-Party Service Providers

We use the following third-party services to operate NearPew:

Vercel - Website hosting and deployment
Google Analytics (GA4) - Website analytics (with your consent only)
Google Ads - Conversion tracking (with your consent only)
Resend - Transactional email delivery
Google OAuth - Optional sign-in with Google

Each provider processes data according to their own privacy policy. Links to their policies are available in our Cookie Policy.

Changes to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. We will notify you of any material changes by posting the new policy on this page and updating the "Last Updated" date.

Contact Us

If you have questions about this Privacy Policy or our data practices, please contact us:

Email: privacy@nearpew.org