A Suffolk nonprofit is seeking donations for hundreds of displaced families they will be serving at a holiday dinner on Saturday.

Dr. Pamela Robinson-Allen, executive director of operations for "Keep Your Change," says their donations are down but that they are hoping to help hundreds of people.

In 2020, they helped 200 displaced people in the county. In 2021, that number jumped to 900.

Volunteers have been putting together decorated shoeboxes called "Blessings in a Box" that they give out to individuals.

The boxes are filled with essential items such as toothbrushes, toothpaste, soap and socks.

Executive director Louis Daniels was once displaced and was given a box with essential items that changed his life, so he brought that idea to Keep Your Change.

"We knew we needed basics from my own periods of time living in a shelter like soap, toothpaste, deodorant," Daniels said.

Around 30 Blessings in a Box have already been made, but the nonprofit says it can't keep up with the demand and needs help filling more boxes.

Robinson-Allen says the boxes are for people in nine different shelters.

"I think what it does for the recipient, it makes them feel seen and appreciated, and it gives them some love because we do this out of love," Robinson-Allen says.

Bumi Ojo, of the Halo Networks, oversees seven homeless shelters in Suffolk County.

Ojo says there is a 25% uptick in people needing assistance this holiday season and that Saturday's event gives them an opportunity to forget what they're going through.

In addition to the Blessings in a Box, Keep Your Change is planning a sit-down dinner for the families so they can enjoy a homecooked meal.

Anyone who wants to help the nonprofit with donations of toys and essentials items can drop them off at the Irwin S. Quintyne Center at 1 Commerce Blvd. in Amityville.

People can arrange for a pickup by calling 631-464-4340.

Anyone looking to make a monetary contribution can use CashApp with the username $KYCINC or Zelle with the username Ldaniels@KYCINC.org.