For the seventh year, Lancaster Painting is hoping to change someone’s life with a fresh coat of paint. The painting company’s annual Paint it Forward event is approaching quickly, and nominations for the charitable occasion are needed.

Paint it Forward gifts a lucky local individual, family or nonprofit organization with $5,000 of free painting services, and decides who the recipient will be through community nominations. The event originated from Lancaster Painting’s desire to give back.

“If it weren’t for everyone in the community giving us the opportunity to work for them, we wouldn‘t be where we are,” said Lancaster Painting customer advocate Jessica Gonzalez. “It’s a way we can give back, and every year it’s different and unique.”

Past events have included painting for a community member dealing with Lou Gehrig’s disease, the Baker family foster home in association with Aspiranet and the Community Continuum College. Last year a Ceres family dealing with a death in the family and health complications was chosen as the recipients of the free paint job, and the event particularly touched Gonzalez.

“It was really family-oriented, and that’s what we want; it’s an experience for everyone to enjoy,” she said, adding that the daughters of the family made treats for the painters as they worked. “It was really neat to see his whole family come together and work with us.”

Nominations will be sifted through at Lancaster Painting’s Christmas party, and will be accepted through Dec. 13. Selecting finalists from the large amount of entries is never an easy task, said Gonzalez.

“We want to help them all out if we could, because the nominations we get are amazing,” she said. “There’s not really a process. It’s really hard to narrow it down.”

Nominees can be nonprofit organizations with little funding, those with health issues or dealing with the burden of medical costs, individuals or families facing difficult times or those who are so active in the community that they haven’t had time to keep up with their home’s exterior.

The recipient of the free paint job will be announced in January. Until then, nominations can be submitted by filling out the online form at www.lancasterpainting.com. Nominations can also be emailed to paintitforward@lancasterpainting.com or mailed to 228 N. Center Street, Turlock, CA 95380.