The two young boys put on their new blue parkas as soon as they could get them off the hangers.

"They couldn't wait," said their mother, a 37-year-old single parent who'd just moved her family from a homeless shelter into subsidized housing.

The mom and her four kids were among more than 700 people at the annual "Spirit of Christmas" party for homeless children Saturday at Friendship Missionary Baptist Church.

The event aimed to bring some Christmas spirit - along with new coats, shoes, school supplies and gifts - to children who are or have recently been homeless.

According to the nonprofit A Child's Place, more than 4,400 homeless children are estimated to be students in Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools.

Some of them sat on Santa's lap at the church on Beatties Ford Road Saturday. Others ate a turkey dinner, picked out warm clothes and listened to music as more than 200 volunteers guided them through a series of rooms packed with everything from gloves to gingerbread.

(Also on Saturday, the Harris YMCA hosted its annual Christmas dinner for more than 200 homeless children and adults. The event included gifts, clothing and free haircuts.)

At Friendship church, event chair Carin Ross Johnson said this year's party drew a more diverse crowd than last year - proving that economic woes cut across racial and ethnic lines.

"Last year we served mostly African-American families," Johnson said. "This year there were more Caucasian and Latin-American families."

The church worked with A Child's Place and local schools to identify homeless children to invite to the party with their families.

Senior pastor Clifford Jones Sr. drove his pickup truck to Hendersonville and brought back 1,800 freshly picked apples to distribute to the children.

"This is an awesome event," said the 37-year-old single mom named Jean who brought her four children to the party.

She didn't want her full name used to keep her children from being embarrassed at school.

Jean said she was laid off from her data entry job two years ago. Her family lived at the Center of Hope shelter on Spratt Street for more than five months, she said, before moving into public housing on Dec. 10. Jean had a three-week data entry job that ended last week. Now she's looking for work and is glad her children will have some new things for Christmas thanks to Friendship church.

Another single mother named Nakeisha also was glad to see her four children wearing new coats and shoes.

"Now I won't have to worry about them going to the school bus stop in flimsy sweaters," said Nakeisha, 34.

Her 8-year-old daughter had outgrown her old coat, and her shoes were so tight she had trouble getting them off and on. As they headed out, Nakeisha's daughter showed off a new pink-and-black parka with matching scarf, and a new pair of white athletic shoes with purple trim.

"I think they'll be comfortable to wear," her daughter said.

They were a perfect fit.