CHESAPEAKE — “We’re shooting for about 450,” Danny Newman, with Chesapeake Community Mission Outreach, said on Thursday.

He was referring to the number of families who would receive carts full of food items for Christmas, as part of the organization’s annual holiday food giveaway.

The CMO, which was founded in 1985, puts together the event each Christmas and, for two days, volunteers work at the village’s community center, first organizing the donated and purchased items, and then, on Thursday, loading the carts to wheel out to the steady stream of cars of families who signed up to meet the low income qualifications.

The package included a turkey, a ham, onions, peanut butter, canned goods and other items.

In addition, there was a toy room set up at the community center, where families could take two items for children.

Newman said the event was paid for by area churches, as well as Maxine’s Closet in Chesapeake.

“And Nicely Towing donated 500 bags of potatoes,” he said.

In addition to the CMO’s volunteers, about 30 students from Chesapeake High Schools student council and honors program were on hand to assist.

Emily Schwamberger said it was her first year volunteering there.

“Yesterday, we packed fruit baskets,” she said of the numerous packages lining the walls of the center’s gymnasium. “And today we’re loading the carts. I’ve really liked it and I’ve met a lot of cool people.”

Newman thanked the students for their work.

“We couldn’t do it without them,” he said.

The giveaway is for those in the CMO’s system, who are eligible for its food distribution throughout the year.