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Tonka Bay, Minn. (WCCO) ― There are more than 10,000 Minnesota children living in foster care and for years, one Tonka Bay, Minn. couple has opened their hearts and their home to dozens of those kids.

Neighbors and friends wanted to find a way to say thank you, but they never imagined the gesture would balloon into a community-wide effort.

To see the true power of love you need only to look at what's taking place on Pleasant Avenue, where what looks like a typical home remodel is really a lesson in life.

"I'm not sure I can think," said homeowner Jan Sharp. "It's just so wonderful and such a blessing I can't express enough thanks to everybody."

Steve and Jan Sharp raised three of their own children in their home, fostered 38 other children and are now raising two adoptive sons there. They don't consider what they do a big deal.

"We're just people doing what we think we're being led to do," Steve Sharp said.

Teri Bennett disagrees saying, "Anyone who helps the children, like they have. They could take babies, keep them for a month and then give them back. I can't imagine doing that."

After years of giving so much to the children in the community, the community has found a unique way to give back to the Sharps.

"I said hey I'd be happy to volunteer. I'm great with floors. I'll do all the flooring here," said Jeff Spreng, who recently retired from the Army. "I've been in the Army for four years. I just got back from Afghanistan, but I just like helping people."

What started as a small gesture of wanting to replace the family's floors mushroomed to an entire home renovation.

"Within one week, we had three different builders on board, we had Paul the architect, who's a roofer too, we had roofing, siding," said Bennett.

Everything's been donated, from the dumpster to the storage truck out front and even the much-needed tree trimming service. These are not easy jobs, as the house was built around a tree. In fact the roof and the deck have holes in them to leave space for the trunk. What's more amazing than that is the dozens of people who the Sharps have never even met, who've volunteered.

Strangers like architect Paul Vogstrom of Paul Thomas Homes, Inc.

"I walked through the site here and then decided it needed to be better laid out," Vogstrom said.

This is his busy money-making season, yet you'll find him here every chance he gets -- like this past holiday weekend.

"We even had 12 lacrosse boys over here," Bennett said.

Bennett and Marty Brannon have organized this effort. They never imagined how an entire community would come together to make it all happen.

"You just get the fever," Bennett said. "I don't know what you call it, but everybody who comes here goes, 'I know somebody else' and that's how it's getting done."

The Sharps pitch in too, finding it impossible to wipe the smiles from their faces. A couple that's given so much still finds it tough to be on the receiving end of so much generosity.

"This project is a whole lot bigger than this house," Steve Sharp said. "It's very humbling."

This home has held a lot of love over the years. It's hard to believe it can hold any more.

The volunteers hope to finish the home in July and they could still use some help -- either in the form of volunteers, materials or even money. There is a fund set up at TCF Bank, under "The Sharp Project". Organizers said any leftover money will be used to help other families in need.

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