You have to dream out loud.

A seven-year-old autistic boy is trying to make this Christmas a special occasion for the homeless in Western Canada.

About two years ago, Stephen McPhee heard about a news story describing homeless people near his family's Calgary-area home and decided that he wanted to help.

Stephen doesn't talk a lot, so he didn't waste many words describing what he felt and why he knew he had to do something.

"I just don't like it when they're on the street," Stephen told CTV.ca during a Christmas Eve interview.

That's exactly what he told his mother, Nancy McPhee, and the family decided they would help Stephen take action. So, they loaded backpacks stuffed with Christmas gifts and distributed them to needy families around their city.

The backpacks include essentials -- mittens, hats, clothes -- that the homeless and their families need, but they also have items such as crayons and toys for the kids.

That first year, they were able to load 15 backpacks for the needy, distributing them with the help of local charities. But Stephen's mom says the little boy knew they could do more. The next year, he told his mother he wanted to distribute 150 backpacks.

Nancy McPhee said she told her son that his goal was quite a bit more than their original 15. Undaunted, little Stephen had the perfect response, she says.

"Mummy, you have to dream out loud," Nancy said he told her, describing the boy's enthusiasm about the project.

On his website, Stephen describes how his charity grew.

"I wanted to make more so my sister helped me write a letter and tons of companies and people in Aridrie (Alberta) helped make over 265 backpacks," Stephen wrote.

"Every backpack had a huge bow and lots of neat toys and mittens and school stuff inside. We had fun in a donated school bus taking them to Inn from the Cold on Christmas Eve."

This year, his charity -- Stephen's Backpacks Society -- will distribute about 1,000 backpacks. They now have about 100 corporate sponsors and more than 100 volunteers throughout Alberta to help them.

Nancy McPhee has even written a book -- aptly titled "You have to Dream Out Loud" -- to raise more money for the working homeless and their families.

She says Stephen's generosity has captured the hearts of his neighbours and many others throughout Alberta.

"It's crisp and it's real and it's a very strong message," she said, adding, "I think Stephen tells it well. Let's just do it."