Christmas has come early for some 2,200 disadvantaged kids in the Montreal area.

The ‘Christmas for Everyone’ event took place Saturday at the Welcome Hall Mission, where kids under 12 received gifts from Santa Claus himself, portrayed this year by Southwest Borough Mayor Benoît Dorais.

“Every year I am a volunteer here at the Welcome Hall Mission but it's my first year as Santa Claus and it's a wonderful moment with the children and all their families,” he said.

The party gave kids a chance to bring home a little holiday cheer, said Welcome Hall Mission CEO Cyril Morgan.

Many of the kids are newcomers to Canada, he said.

“We do receive a lot of new immigrants that come here. Many times they've been sponsored and the sponsorships have run out. A lot of the time they can't work because their work permits or schooling does not allow it,” he said.

Algerian immigrant Samir Salem was grateful for the event for many reasons.

“I want my children to know this tradition in Montreal and we want our children be integrated in this society. We want them to have the same advantages as other,” said Salem.

Founded in 1892, the Welcome Hall Mission is the largest food bank in Montreal, providing services to the homeless and low-income families.

Volunteers handed out thousands of toys.

“It just makes me cry to see all these people that are in need and I'm really happy to help. I'm going to come every single year,” said volunteer Letizia Piscopo.

In the coming weeks, the Welcome Hall Mission will also serve thousands of Christmas baskets, each containing more than $160 worth of food, helping about 6,000 people in need.

Its annual budget is over $18 million, of which only $1.9 million comes from the Quebec government, meaning they depend heavily on donations from the public.

With files from The Canadian Press