Thousands of Montrealers made their way to the Welcome Hall Mission‘s annual gift giving event Saturday.
The aim is to provide children, who come from families in need, with a toy ahead of the holidays.
“Many of the families complain that they don’t have any money to buy any toys for their children,” Cyril Morgan, Welcome Hall Mission CEO, said. “They see other children with toys at Christmas and they feel bad.”
It was a sight to behold with over 10,000 donated toys–free for the picking– lining the shelves.
“We’re extremely busy, but without all these thousands of volunteers during the year and today over 200 volunteers being here, we couldn’t put a thing like this on,” Morgan said.
The children were even able to have their pictures taken with Santa Claus.
“The environment was really full of love,” Maryam Palazadeh, a parent at the event, said. “I did not want to show anybody that I wanted to cry.”
While receiving a gift certainly brightens up a child’s day, it means alot to parents as well.
“As a parent, I have to give some gifts,” Palazadeh said. “This way, I feel I did my responsibility as a mother.”
For Montreal’s Welcome Hall Mission, the giving won’t stop after Saturday’s event.
The organization will be distributing food baskets in the weeks and days leading up to Christmas.
“This time of year we go into debt a little bit to be able to give a little bit more back,” Morgan said. “So that they can have a joyous Christmas.”