Brushes and tools in hand, more than 60 FedEx employees swarmed ACAP Child and Family Services wing at White River Presbyterian Church on a recent sunny morning.

And when they left eight hours later, paint splashed and grime flecked, the volunteers left behind three refurbished classrooms sparkling with new windows and fresh paint, a spiffed-up playground and much more.

Improvements that will help 39-year-old ACAP, which relocated from Les Gove Park to the church in late 2008 to make way for the Auburn Community Center project, to more than double the number of children it serves and hopefully regain its financial feet.

The project was part of FedEx’s National Day of Caring, which saw like activity happen throughout the United States that same day.

“We are lucky to have one of the (projects) they are doing in the state of Washington,” said Largo Wales, executive director of ACAP Child and Family Services. “We’ve got guys and gals here from all over Western Washington. What they are basically doing is renovating three classrooms and our playground, putting in some playground equipment, things like that.”

The FedEx folks brought $7,500 in cash with them, money Wales used to purchase supplies including cabinets, windows, caulking and paint. The worker bees started their labors at 8:30 a.m. and finished at 4:30 p.m.

“What this means is that, combined with the overhead sprinkler system, we will be able to double our capacity,” Wales said.

“Essentially it’s the yearly kickoff of our larger FedEx campaign with United Way all over the country,” said Trisha Beeman, a senior marketing and communications specialist for FedEx and the project coordinator, hardware store runner and food gatherer.

“This is the third year our people in the greater Seattle area have been involved,” Beeman said. “Basically, we partner with a United Way Agency, and today it’s ACAP Child and Family Services in Auburn. We donate money and labor with volunteers, and we try to give them as much as they need done in one day.”

Beeman described the work force as a mix of different FedEx companies: FedEx Express, FedEx Ground, FedEx Smart Post, FedEx Freight, FedEx Office, and FedEx Trade Networks.

“They’re inside painting, pulling out cabinets, they’re outside building playground equipment, they’re lining sports courts, they’re revamping the shed, they’re redoing classrooms four, five and six,” Beeman said. “Once they get the three classrooms done, ACAP’ll be able to have 105 kids which would be great for ACAP’s capacity and to help the community.”

Wales noted that ACAP will survive the closing of its host, White River Presbyterian Church.

“ACAP has a four-year lease,” Wales explained. “Our rent is $150, we pay 44 percent utilities, and the Presbytery pays the other portion for whomever else they lease this out to. The Presbyterian Church is the owner. We are staying, and they probably are going to work on getting some other tenants.”

The Hispanic congregation Iglesia El Buen Pastor also meets there.