JFergus.... it doesn't have to be money. Time spent helping out is often more appreciated. Like the lawn mowing I did for the monestary. They had been paying a guy $125 a week to do it. They lost him(he got a new regular job). I just happened to stop by one day in the spring to say hi.I talked with the "Brother" for a while. In parting I ask if there was anything I could do ....anything they needed. He said, "do you know how to mow a lawn and drive a John Deere with a bushhog". I said it's been a while but I figured I could. He said, "are you serious, we lost our lawn man and I'm swamped. If you could do it until I got someone else". So I mowed the lawn. I was retired and figured I could spend 5-6 hours a week there. They offered to pay me but I told them it was the least I could do. I did it for 3 years until my wife became real sick and I spent my days with her 24/7. It worked out because they had a paritioner loose his job and needed the money gained from mowing. I took no pay... but they always gave me $150 in gift certificates at restaurants around town at Xmas.