JERUSALEM, December 19, 2015 (WAFA) - The Marine guards at the U.S. Consulate General in Jerusalem visited Palestinian orphans on Friday to deliver toys and holiday cheer at the Home of Peace orphanage in the Mount of Olives in East Jerusalem, said a press statement issued by the U.S. Consulate General’s press office in Jerusalem.

The statement noted that, each one of the twenty children aged 6-18 received two presents selected and donated by Consulate staff members.

To be noted, this is the eighth consecutive year the U.S. Consulate General participated in the global Toys for Tots program. 

The U. S. Marine Corps Toys for Tots Program collects new, unwrapped toys during October, November and December each year and distributes those toys as Christmas gifts to less fortunate children in the local community. 

“The primary goal is to deliver a message of hope to less fortunate youngsters that will help them grow up with a sense of community and belonging.  U.S. Embassies and Consulates all over the world take part in this holiday tradition.”

On the occasion of this visit, Consul General Donald Blome said, 'While Christmas is a time to celebrate, a time to sing carols and exchange gifts, it's also something more.  It is about compassion, charity, and love for your neighbor.  It's about giving of yourself and forgiving the faults of others. But those ideas are not just part of the Christian faith.  They are part of all faiths.  And they unite us all as humans.'

The Home of Peace Charity Fund was established in the memory of Monsignor Stanislaus T. Sypek to carry on his lifelong work to provide a home to poor children in the Holy Land.

T.R.