More than 1,500 children will receive gifts today at the 5th annual Hosea Feed the Hungry and Homeless Christmas Party, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., at The Loudermilk Center, 40 Courtland St., in downtown Atlanta.

Elisabeth Omilami, president and CEO of Hosea Feed the Hungry and Homeless, said The City of Refuge and individual donations Tuesday made giving gifts to 1,500 youth possible.

Earlier this week, Hosea Feed the Hungry was facing a record shortage. The nonprofit was short of toys for some 600 children and was appealing for last-minute donations.

Many companies aren't in a position to give as they have in previous years, with some donating around half of what they were able to give in 2009, Omilani said Tuesday.

She said that Atlanta is the "poorest city in the country as far as children go," with nearly 50 percent of all children living in poverty in Atlanta in families with annual incomes of less than $15,000 per year.

HFTH needed new unwrapped toys for children under 12 and gift cards for youth between the ages of 12 and 16. Residents had until 7 p.m. Tuesday to drop off gifts at the HFTH headquarters, 1035 Donnelly Ave., for today's event. The organization is still accepting online donations for Christmas Day programs and other projects at www.hoseafeedthehungry.com.

Celebrating its 40^th year in 2010, HFTH assists struggling families and the homeless and feeds thousands through dinners at holidays such as Thanksgiving, Easter and Martin Luther King Jr. Day.

The West End organization was started by Omilami's father, civil rights legend Rev. Hosea Williams.