Groton - Families jammed the Groton Department of Human Services office Friday morning, where volunteers began distributing 500 baskets of food and hundreds of bags of toys for the holidays.

“I think that people have been very generous this year with toys, donations, with helping people out,” said counselor Diane Schrage. “There’s definitely an increased need, no question about it.” At one point, a three-year-old girl began jumping up and down after peering into a box to find Christmas tree decorations, Schrage said. She was moved because the child hadn’t even received a gift yet, she said.

“There’s not much that makes me cry anymore,” she said.

About two-thirds of those registered for donations were families; about one-third were elderly residents. Volunteers handed red, green and blue bags full of toys to parents inside while volunteers outside loaded frozen turkeys, desserts and boxes of stuffing, vegetables and other food staples into cars.

“I figured I’d come early, beat the rush” said Ingrid Kelly, 67, as she waited in the crowded lobby. Kelly lives on Social Security and received a Thanksgiving basket also this year, she said.

“It was scrumptious. Butternut squash, and I made my own cranberry sauce,” she said. “I was so grateful.”

d.straszheim@theday.com

Twitter: @DStraszheim