Tulsa - If you think the economy is hard on you, it's been hard on charities. The American Red Cross and Meals on Wheels are two that have reported a decline in donations. We found out many organizations are surviving thanks to your sweat and dedication.

You don't have to be a pro, or skilled. You just have to be willing to work hard and maybe try something new.

Today, high school students preparing for college at Rogers State University spent the day helping out a program called Rebuilding Together Tulsa. The non profit does home repairs for people who cannot afford it.

They've reported donations are down, so they can't afford some roofing, plumbing or electrical jobs right now. The students are part of a growing trend -- more people giving their time when they can't give their cash.

"We've noticed that things have started to slow," says Kim Rolston. "Also that means that a lot of people are applying to our program and we have about two hundred Tulsa people on our waiting list."

"We can't always give our money, but we can usually always give our time," says Chelsey, a student from Locust Grove.

But, their time is valuable.

"Today, this is easily five-thousand dollars because of all the work that has gone into it," Rolston says. "All the people here today, there's no way we could pay for this and get this job done."

Matthew is a student from Tulsa. He says he's never painted a house before. But, he and friends are learning how to today.

"I'm helping a person out. They might not have a lot of money to pay somebody to do this, so help them out and do it for free."

And, yes there will be some mistakes made. But, they  know they'll have the pros come back and do some touch up work.

If you'd like to help out, Rebuilding Together Tulsa has volunteer jobs available weekly. And, Grace Hospice gave us a call. They need all kinds of help with assisting families, office work and special events.

On The Net:
Rebuilding Together Tulsa - http://www.rebuildingtogethertulsa.org/
Grace Hospice - http://www.gracehospice.com/

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