FAYETTEVILLE, N.Y. (WSYR-TV) -- Shoppers filled the aisles at Tops in Fayetteville for more than just groceries, to lend a helping hand earlier than expected.

The "Friendly Market" decided to start their annual "Brown Bag of Hope" Fundraiser, raising money for the Food Bank of CNY.

The decision to start early seems to have paid off. Store manager Scott Timian said that they've already seen some success: "We just started it this morning, and we've already had a lot of people come up and ask about the tree."

The tree Timian's referring to is a Christmas tree in the front of the store, filled with flyers promoting $5, $10, and $20 options for shoppers, featuring items like macaroni and cheese, mashed potatoes, and spaghetti.

The recent issues regarding food assistance programs like SNAP m

See Full Page