Tulsans helping Tulsans in 'Project Homefront'

Thursday, April 10th 2003, 12:00 am

By: News On 6

Some military families who need home repair help - are getting it - for free, through "Project Homefront." News on Six reporter Emory Bryan says some big names like Home Depot are backing it - and local firms like A-Best roofing are doing the work.

A Tulsa house in the 1300 block of North Norwood is the first one to get some work through a new program to help military families. Leroy Gartrell with A-Best Roofs, repairs roofs on lots of houses. â€œOk, going to put it on now.â€ But this one is different. â€œIf I can volunteer some of my time, I feel better about it.â€ He's helping fix the roof on this house - because Marlyss Murray lives here.

Her house needs a new roof and she can't afford it. â€œAfter I got hurt, I wasn't able to financially afford it. I'd pretty much given up hope.â€ But she'll get that new roof because of the two stars in her window - representing two sons in the service. One in the Navy - the other Air Force - he left at Thanksgiving. â€œMy oldest one yeh is overseas right now, he went over voluntarily to help set it up at Qatar, and he's not been back since, and haven't heard from him either.â€

A charity called â€œRebuilding Together Tulsaâ€ is helping coordinate volunteer labor to repair Murrayâ€™s house. Deanna Boston, Rebuilding Together Tulsa: "And she's going to get a new roof, doors, new fascia boards, all kinds of work done on her home." Murray: â€œRepaint where it needs to be painted.â€ Boston: â€œThis is going to cost her absolutely nothing.â€ And that makes Leroy feel pretty good. â€œSometimes, everybody needs a helping hand.â€

And though this program is just for military families - the charity â€œRebuilding Together Tulsaâ€ does this for other low-income families who need the help.

To find out more about the organization you can visit their web site at WWW.TULSA.REBUILDINGTOGETHER.ORG