Who started this?

Sometimes Mom will pass on to me an article that she finds particularly interesting. The piece could be anything from an example of egregious spelling and grammar to something that she knows will bug me. I love it especially when she sends me the "Miss Manners" from our hometown newspaper. (Yes, I know it's syndicated nationally, but it looks so much more "small townish" in our news.) Anyway, she was right to save this particular article, as it had me reading with my jaw hanging open. Because I love you, I'll share.
Dear Miss Manners: I received an e-mail from an acquaintance who is recently married and intentionally pregnant, asking if I might like "to be the coordinator of some support for us once the little one emerges. It would involve checking in with us on a regular basis about what kind of support we could use, and then a fair amount of e-mailing and phone calling (probably a few phone calls and/or e-mails a day) and making some sort of calendar to keep track of what, who and when. Needless to say, it would be a fantastic gift."
The [more than] 50 friends and friends members who also got this e-mail were told, "If you don't want to organize but are interested in being on the help contact list, some suggestions we have been given for ways to be supportive are: meal drop every other day or so, grocery shopping, helping clean or organize around the house (dishes, laundry, etc.). We are looking forward to sharing this immense transition with you."
Is their request appropriate? Worth noting is that both sets of the couple's parents are financially very well off and live within 10 miles of them. It seems that they are asking their friends to take on the job of volunteer nanny.
The reader goes on to ask if this is an appropriate request for the couple to make, and what she should respond. Miss Manners tells her to ignore it, because no, this is not an appropriate request, and the couple should be smacked for suggesting it (I paraphrase).
Me? I'm appalled by it! YIKES! Who do these people think they are? They willfully enter into this situation called parenthood, and then ask everyone they know to do stuff for them because they'll be too swamped? The whole idea of this leaves a sour taste in my mouth. Ridiculous, I say.
Really, it's been two hours since I first read the thing, and I still can't wrap my head around it.