More than 250 volunteers are expected to join together Saturday to create "Christmas in April" for community residents who need help with home repair and rehabilitation.

Selected people, including the elderly, people with disabilities and low-income homeowners, will receive help from volunteers working with the organization Christmas in April Greater Bismarck-Mandan Area all day Saturday.

Volunteers include people from students to homemakers to contractors, working on projects such as painting home interiors and exteriors, replacing broken windows and screens, landscaping, gutter repair, accessibility, fixing and updating plumbing and electrical wiring. The volunteers work with donated materials and resources provided at no cost to the homeowners.

For many elderly, low-income and disabled, maintaining their homes can be a hardship, said Wendy Pank, president of the local Christmas in April program.

The goal is to help more people maintain safe, decent housing, said Mandan Mayor Ken LaMont.

Command centers for the work projects are Capital Credit Union, 204 W. Thayer Ave. in Bismarck and 600 E. Main St. in Mandan. Volunteers are asked to report there by 8:30 a.m. Saturday for their house assignment and to pick up materials.

This year the organization will fix up homes for eight elderly residents, paint at two group homes and do yard clean-up for several elderly residents.

Since its charter in 1997, the local chapter has raised more than $400,000 in cash and in-kind gifts; more than 3,300 local volunteers have helped rehabilitate more than 59 homes and 21 area nonprofit sites in the community.

For more information, call Wendy Pank at 224-5649.