More than 400 children will be opening a Christmas gift early this year at First Temple's First Blessing Church.
This is the fifth year the church has hosted the event, giving away hundreds of shoes to kids in the Temple and Belton Independent School District.
It starts with the schools finding which kids are in need this time of year and sending letters out to parents inviting them to come to the event. Once registered, they show up to the church on event day receive a free pancake breakfast, shop for a brand new pair of shoes and then get to take a photo with Santa.
This year, over 500 children were registered for the shoe giveaway.
Natasha Jones came with her three boys and husband. This is her first year attending the event.
"Families struggle and it's just very helpful through the seasons a lot ya know the stress, it just helps relieve some of that," Jones said.
First Blessing Church partakes in this event each year to not only help the ones in need but provide a time where they get to know the community.
This day wouldn't be possible without the hundreds of volunteers help out on giveaway day.
"This is a way that we found that works," Evan Duncan, Teaching Pastor said. "We have the connections and the people who are really good at pulling this off. So this is a need that we can meet and we can meet well."
The volunteers and the church can't wait for next December.
"This is one of the most fun things to be a part of," Duncan said. "We all kind of look forward to this because we get to just gather together have a blast and just love people."
The Jones' family lives in Belton with no other family around so being here with the community feels like they're at home.
"When we have things like this happen, it feels like there's, we do have a family," Jones said. "So it's just, it's a blessing it really is."
Even though 500 kids were registered, not all show up. The shoes that go without a home will then be given away at other church events.
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