'Bring kindness to people:' Students from across Oklahoma repair Tulsa homes for free

Some students from all over Oklahoma are in Tulsa this week, doing home repairs for free.

The program is called Youth Force, and the students are staying at the Christ Church on Harvard near 31st and Harvard.

REWARDING EXPERIENCE

Students are hard at work putting up siding at homes near 31st and Harvard.

"We are just out here trying to help other people and bring kindness to people,” said Joshua Lorah, who traveled to Tulsa from Altus.

They are spending a week out of their summer break helping people as part of Youth Force.

Some have done it for years.

"My youth pastor talked about it with our church about four years ago, and I got invited for my first time, and I've just been coming back ever since,” said Andy Schneider from Yukon.

Students say the best part of this experience is knowing they helped change someone’s life for the better.

"Helping the homeowners and seeing their faces after the finished product,” said Reese Ridenhour from Edmond. “Honestly, it really is just about being selfless and helping other people. No matter what you're going through, you can always pour into other people."

"I think it's really cool to serve others through God and to show how great God can be and all the transformations in all the houses we do,” said Schneider.

HOMEOWNER RESPONSE

The students repair homes for free, and that's a big relief for homeowners like Ricky Whiteley. He says the students knocked on his door and asked if they could help.

"Very touching, very moving, I would say. Emotional, very emotional, it's awesome in a lot of respects too,” said Whiteley. “These young people are working really hard, too."

He likes seeing how passionate the students are about helping.

"Seeing every one of them want to pick up a hammer and learn how to drive nails and learn construction, that is very awesome,” said Whiteley.

CHURCH’S ROLE

Aaron Tiger, the Pastor at Christ Church on Harvard, hopes people see just how hard these kids are working for a good cause.

"The difference that not just the homes are making, and the transformation of what it looked like at the beginning of the week to what it looks like today, but also just restoring faith in God and restoring faith in people, in young people, and community, that's what it's about,” said Tiger.

He says it’s been inspiring to see.

"Students can work hard, they love each other, they can get along together well, and when we come together for great things, great things happen,” said Tiger.

WHAT’S NEXT

The kids started on Monday and will be finishing up the home projects on Friday.

The students are working on six homes, fixing the siding on five of them and the roof on one.

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