BATON ROUGE - It's the season of giving, and HOPE Ministries is making sure families in North Baton Rouge receive everything they need to have a happy holiday. 

On Tuesday morning, hundreds of parents could "shop" for toys, stocking stuffers and gift cards at the church. They also went home with bags full of items to help them prepare a Christmas dinner, such as canned goods, boxed potatoes and a gift card to Hi Nabor to purchase a meat of their choice. 

More than 100 bags of food were gifted along with at least 350 toys. COO of HOPE David Tidwell said these families signed up for this opportunity in October. 

HOPE's mission of community involvement aims to prevent homelessness and serve those in need in a dignified manner. Tidwell says the idea of allowing people to "shop" for their child's gift instead of just giving them a random bag of toys is one way they are empowering people who need help. 

This event was not open to the public. If you're interested in signing up next year, contact HOPE Ministries to connect with their team.