A group of University of South Florida Lakeland students has decided to do a home makeover for the Shalom-Center for Peace and Restoration and is looking for volunteers.

The group will began painting and beautifying the home’s interior on Saturday, April 5, and will finish with landscaping and other exterior work on Saturday, April 12. Volunteers are welcome to help on either day.

Shalom-Center helps address the needs of children, youth and disadvantaged families in Polk County.

“As one of the newer nonprofit organizations in our community, Shalom-Center needs help in many ways,” says USF Lakeland student Aviza Wells. “If anyone is interested in coming out on either of these days, the help would be greatly appreciated.”

In-kind or monetary donations are also welcome.

Wells says the home makeover project grew out of a human relations class at USF Lakeland, where students divided into groups and chose a community service project to direct and conduct for the spring semester. Along with Wells, the group includes Abnel Crespo, Laura Fannin, Cheryl James and Calisse Weber.

“These students are working very hard on this project to make it successful and should take great pride in what they have accomplished,” says Susan Hurley, coordinator of academic programs, who also teaches the human relations class. “Service learning projects are an important addition to classroom learning and help to provide a better understanding of human relationships and the needs of so many people in Polk County.”

Other student community service projects include a drive to collect belts and socks for Polk County school children, and a food drive and fundraising effort for the Street Angels, a Winter Haven-based nonprofit organization that provides food and financial support to those in need.

To volunteer for the Shalom-Center home makeover call 863-682-4084.

The Shalom-Center provides long-term group and emergency shelter homes for children ages 0-14 who have been removed from their parents or guardians due to abuse, neglect, abandonment, and homelessness. Homes are located in traditional family- oriented neighborhoods, where trained and qualified staff provide care and supervision, 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. The focus is towards keeping sibling groups together. For more information visit www.shalomcenter-inc.org, call 863-682-4084 or email shalom.center@yahoo.com.