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After 10 years of helping people to a better quality of life, Pay It Forward is now focusing on its 11th year of bathroom remodels.

The philanthropic organization is opening its nomination period for the next Pay It Forward project in March. People will have from Jan. 1-31 to submit essays of around 500 words along with at least two photos of a project in need.

People can visit the Pay It Forward website for more details as well as rules that qualify a potential project.

It’s been a long road for Pay It Forward as it continues to gain steam coming off a massive two-project build for its 10th year last year and heading into the future.

“I think the journey in itself is people have watched how we’ve grown, which shows how much everybody’s hearts have opened up to do more with business and individuals in the community,” said Gina Grundmeier.

The project’s first remodel was for Jason Ferch and was largely centered on the bathroom to make it handicap accessible for Ferch, who was wheelchair bound.

Since then and with each project, Pay It Forward has expanded, drawing in more people to help and volunteer for the projects that take a week to finish.

At the same time Pay It Forward’s mission has expanded throughout the year outside of its marquee project including work done on the bathroom for the family of Wyatt Hamlin, who was injured in a crash from an alleged drunk driver.

“We try to fill whatever need we can when it comes around,” Grundmeier said, adding that those projects outside the bathroom remodel generally take longer. “Sometimes the need is more urgent and we can’t wait until March.”

Work by Pay It Forward is now beginning to focus on the upcoming March project. Grundmeier said that people should concentrate on details when nominating for the 2024 project.

“We want to feel the family’s story,” she said. “We want to hear the story. Why should we pick them? It’s always compelling and heart-tugging and a sense of validation for everybody who knows why they have been chosen.”

The pictures submitted add to the story and scope of the potential project, “to get a true feeling of the family and the person’s family,” Grundmeier said.

Grundmeier added that once the nomination period comes to an end, the chosen project will come fairly quickly in the following week. Once that’s completed the planning will kick-in leading up to the week of remodeling.

As Pay It Forward gets to that point, Grundmeier reflects on just how far it has come.

“I’m surprised, but I’m proud of the people and everybody that has helped in that growth,” she said. “We’ve done over $1 million worth of work in the past 10 years. (Volunteers) are the reason we can do what we do.”

Pay It Forward is largely a grassroots effort and so Grundmeier said that volunteers and donors are always welcome on the projects. People can also get involved by going to the Pay It Forward website.