A free holiday gift boutique Thursday helped bring the spirit of Christmas to families in need.

The Tri Community and Youth Agency and the Family Service League join forces every season to hand out gifts for nearly 1,000 families in the Huntington area who need help putting presents under the tree. Also lending a helping hand were PSEG workers who volunteered to wrap gifts.

Bernadette Watkins, of Huntington, attended the event to get foster children at her church presents.

"To me it's extra special that we are able to help a lot of children in the community whose parents may not be working," says Watkins.

The way it works at the event is a participant picks a present and then heads over to one of the hardworking elves to have it wrapped for the holiday.

"This is something we really love to do because we get to interact with people who are getting these gifts," says Amy DiLeo, of PSEG Long Island. "We're just wrapping them and it's just really fulfilling around the holidays."

All the toys and goodies come from local donations. Participants can pick out two presents and two stocking stuffers per child.

The Tri Community and Youth Agency and the Family Service League have held the holiday boutique for more than 25 years.