‘We got presents!’

In the 18 years volunteers from Someone Cares Soup Kitchen in Costa Mesa have been giving out toys at Christmas time, never was the line as long as it was Tuesday, organizers said.

Nearly 1,500 parents and children lined up outside of the Costa Mesa Neighborhood Community Center on Tuesday morning to receive a gift for Christmas and take a picture with Santa and have their face painted. For many, it was their only opportunity to celebrate the holidays in these hard times.

“You kind of see the kids faces and how overjoyed they are,” said Shannon Santos, executive director for Someone Cares. “That’s what this is all about.”

Among those joyous faces were Darcy Tovalino’s six kids.

“This helps every year,” she said.

She drove from Anaheim with her kids to get each child a gift. The money she saved from the toy hand-out can be used to buy her two oldest kids, 15 and 16 years old, gifts too. They’re more difficult to shop for, she said.

Tuesday morning’s gift giveaway was a scene of organized chaos. The winding line outside slowly crept into the center’s doors. Kids received tickets to redeem gifts then meandered into the center’s large hall, where tables piled high with gifts waited for them. Gifts were divided for kids by gender and age. Upon entering the room, Santa was there to greet them and take a quick picture with them.

It seemed like every other toddler walked out with a box larger than them and a smile just as big.

“We’re not having a Christmas this year,” said Danielle Martin, who brought her nieces and nephews to the center for the first time. “But if they get one gift this year, that helps.”

Martin said she lost her wallet and all her money recently and wouldn’t be able to buy her family gifts. Tuesday’s event was good enough to brighten the kids’ eyes.

“We’re happy we got presents!” said an enthusiastic Valeria Munoz, 7. Her sister, Yvonne, 12, said her favorite part was taking a picture with Santa.

Someone Cares usually hands out about 1,000 gifts every year, Santos said. The toys were collected through local school drives and the Toys for Tots program, which provides toys for children in need throughout Southern California.

JOSEPH SERNA may be reached at (714) 966-4619 or at joseph.serna@latimes.com.