Hundreds of families lined up Saturday morning in Oxnard to receive gifts at the Ventura County Rescue Mission's holiday gift giveaway.

Though the giveaway did not officially begin until noon, by 10 a.m., the line wrapped around Sixth Street, where the Rescue Mission is located, and down Oxnard Boulevard.

It was the gift giveaway that almost wasn't, according to Rob Orth, director of Area Churches Taking Initiative On Needs, or ACTION.

Last Monday, Orth received calls from several agencies that ACTION serves, saying they had run out of toys to give families in need.

"It was a call for help," Orth said. "We did some fast fundraising on Monday and by Wednesday, we were able to fill the needs of those agencies, including the Rescue Mission."

A large truck was rented, and "we just went shopping, (buying) about 10,000 toys," added Orth, who admitted he hates to shop.

The Rescue Mission expected about 2,500 children to receive gifts on Saturday.

Oxnard resident Arthur Hill, 50, a December 2000 graduate of the Rescue Mission program, was among those distributing wrapped presents to the less fortunate.

He and his two daughters, Sade, 13, and Katrina, 12, often go to the Rescue Mission to volunteer. The two girls gave up a trip to Six Flags Magic Mountain on Saturday to help hand out the gifts.

"They are such good girls. They surprise me sometimes," he said. "I told them Magic Mountain was open anytime, but this only comes once a year, and it's more fun."

Pointing to a bench at the entrance to the Rescue Mission, Hill said he'd never forget the moments he spent there, crying and praying for peace when he entered the Rescue Mission's rehabilitation program.

"The doctors told me I'd die because of my liver if I kept doing drugs," he said. "I spent 17 years on heroin and 13 on alcohol."

The Rescue Mission, he said, saved him, and now he volunteers there three times a week, along with his daughters, who help out when they can.

"It's an opportunity to do something good for someone else," he added. "I've been blessed because of this place."

Though the Rescue Mission starts signing up parents on Dec. 1 for the giveaway, parents or guardians are still required to show proof of government assistance before they can receive any gifts, said Carol Roberg, director of the Rescue Mission.

"We've been collecting toys for months. We got a lot of them from Toys for Tots and local churches," Roberg said. "People have been very generous."