BATON ROUGE - Dozens were served gumbo, picked out clothes, received free haircuts and given toys at a nonprofit's annual holiday event to help the homeless on Saturday.

An administrator from Faith Healing and Deliverance Evangelistic World Outreach Ministries said they wanted guests who came to Voices of Virtue's annual Holidays Hope For the Homeless event to feel loved and acknowledged. The two organizations worked together to put on the event.

They didn't only want to hand things like toys and food out for homeless visitors to take and go. There were prayers, music and live dance performances to spark inspiration within guests.

"We want to give from the heart. Especially during this holiday season because a lot of people get depressed, but we're just here to show the love of God and let them know they're being thought about," organizer Candace Johnson said.

Johnson says she and the hosts strive to remember the forgotten.

"This is just a season in your life and people are thinking about you to the point that we will ensure that you feel the love this season. So this season we wanted to remind them that they're not forgotten," she said.

Johnson says there are plans for a similar event around New Year's.