CHITTENANGO -- Area churches are coming together to help those in need get ready for school.
The Chittenango Area Association of Churches is holding a giveaway at the Presbyterian Church that runs Wednesday, Thursday and Friday (10am to 4pm) and Saturday (10am to 2pm).
Hundreds of families are stocking up on clothes and school supplies including.
Caroline Brazeau has four kids and picked up four back packs filled with supplies like notebooks and pencils.
"It's really important," says Brazeau. "It's more food money. We're not going on vacations with the extra money. It's more or less, we're trying to get by day to day."
This giveaway gets bigger every year and the donations come from churchgoers and businesses.
There are clothes for kids and the whole family.
Organizers expect they'll hand out more backpacks this year.
Pastor Michaela St. Marie of the Chittenango United Methodist Church, says people are feeling more comfortable coming forward to ask for help these days.
"The need is here just like anywhere in the country," says Pastor St. Marie. "A lot of these people think Chittenango's a small town, we don't really have need here, but there is quite a large need."
Pastor St. Marie says anyone in the Chittenango School District who hasn't signed up for a backpack can go to the church and get registered and the backpack will be ready on Saturday.
