Can you ask friends or family for financial assistance? Not trying to be disrespectful of your situation, but I'm not sure this is the place to ask for handouts

Can you ask friends or family for financial assistance? Not trying to be disrespectful of your situation, but I'm not sure this is the place to ask for handouts. There's virtually no way for me to figure out if you're telling the truth, regardless of how much I sympathize with your dilemma.