MAPLE VALLEY, Wash. - With the temperatures dropping and the rains starting, it's the time of year for winterizing your car.

But with the struggling economy, some people may not be able to afford that this year. That's where a local church came together Saturday for an unusual community event.

It's something the Real Life Church in Maple Valley has been doing for the past 10 years - transforming its gravel parking lot transformed into an automotive triage area for people with low incomes.

Scores of people showed up Saturday for this year's event, where all the work was done for free.

One who drove her old car in was Faith Vorak, who was there to get some badly needed TLC for her 1993 Subaru.

"This is pretty much it," she says of the maintenance work, "because financially i can't do it."

"We're replacing both the fan belts because they're chaffed and worn a little bit," says a worker who went over her car.

Other volunteers went to work on her car as well - changing the oil, checking fluids and windshield wipers, switching out fan belts. All for free.

Many of the people getting help Saturday said auto maintenance is the first thing to go when it comes to expenses.

But as one of the volunteers said, "It's better to replace it than let it go out of here like this."

Vorak explained her situation. "I'm a single parent of two for 14 years. They've just been awesome. They take care of my vehicle every year."

Rick Heinz, one of the event organizer, says, "We're the one time of the year that a lot of families have anybody look at their car."

They offer no-charge services on some basic car repairs and maintenance for single moms, those who have lost their husbands and the needy - just as the grueling winter driving season gets underway.

"We're really concerned about moms driving around with kids, that if they're wiper blades are bad, there oil's bad, they may even have bald tires," says Heinz.

"We even had a gal come out ... had three kids in her car ... had a donut on one side and two flat tires. We sent her to Les Schwab to get new tires on her car."

People with car know-how gave their time and talents, while nearby stores even donated auto parts.

Some drivers who got their first free oil change years ago now volunteer to help others.

Denise Slocum of Covington explains, "I thought I was going to be getting the most benefit because I was getting my oil changed. The people who were working were getting the most benefit. And I said I wanted to become part of that."