If indeed it is Santa Claus who brings toys to the girls and boys, then a whole lot of Santas work at the Liebert Corporation.

Employees lined up at the door of the Ironton City Welfare Mission Monday morning and brought in armload after armload and bag after bag of toys, clothing and food.

Liebert associate Kathy Caudill said the gift giving was a company-wide effort that was both fun and fulfilling for the employees.

“We’ve done raffles, different fund-raisers. All of our associates were responsible for this, not just the ones here today. It was the whole Liebert plant,” she said.

By the time the last bag was carried in, Liebert employees had donated 237 toys, 69 coats, 78 hats and 76 pairs of gloves as well as 967 food items. City mission volunteer Mary Cremeans said the donations will come in handy.

“We’re thankful,” she said as she watched the associates stream through the door. “This is all very much needed. We greatly appreciate this.”

City mission volunteers began the Monday after Thanksgiving taking requests for food baskets and toys from needy families. Volunteers will hand out food and toys Dec. 22.

Right now, the mission hall is lined with rolls of paper listing the names of people who have requested help and the gender and ages of the children in each family.

Volunteers have also recorded what toys each child would like to see under the tree on Christmas morning.

City Mission Director, the Rev. Jeff Cremeans, said so far 500 families have asked for help with food; 300 families have asked for toys for their children this Christmas.

“The need is great,” he said. “People are in need. With unemployment the way it is, we see a lot of people coming in. And some who come in and ask for help are working, but they just have trouble making ends meet and they come here for help.”