Thousands of homeless Los Angeles families get Christmas cheer at Midnight Mission brunch

Thousands of homeless and nearly homeless children and families received a warm Christmas meal and toys at the Midnight Mission's annual event in downtown Los Angeles.

From 8 a.m. until noon, families were welcomed to the mission for the hearty meal. Children were able to visit Santa's Village, where thousands of toys were available for the kids to choose from and they were given a chance to meet Santa Claus.

About 2,000 meals were expected to be served and the tradition is made possible thanks to the help of hundreds of volunteers.

One man, Terry Smith, was grateful to show his 8-year-old son and 2-year-old twins the Christmas love.

"Even though I'm on hard times, I really want to show my children the fellowship of everything," he said.

His son, Terry Smith Jr., said he hoped other families would have a good holiday.

"I'm not really worried about the presents or the food. I'm really more worried about seeing smiles on a lot of people's faces," he said.

Celebrities also volunteered by handing out the meals and helping Santa, while a choir provided Christmas music.