U.S. Marines Spread Holiday Cheer for Bab El Oued Hospital Children

U.S. Marines Spread Holiday Cheer for Bab El Oued Hospital Children (A. Johnson)

Every year during the holidays, the U.S. Marine Corps organizes the local American community to collect toys and donations to try to bring smiles to children who may not otherwise be smiling so brightly.  In the spirit of this year’s holiday season, the Marines at U.S. Embassy Algiers collected toys and money for needed supplies to benefit the 42 children at the Bab El Oued Hospital’s Pediatric Center, which they distributed to the children on Christmas Day (December 25).

All donations came from the American Embassy community, supported by a generous contribution from an American company, Anadarko.  Charitable giving and community service is a common aspect of American life throughout the year.  In 2004, estimated charitable giving reached $248.52 billion, establishing a new record for philanthropic giving in the United States.  Of that sum, $187.92 billion came from everyday Americans, the single largest source of giving, and a figure that represented a 4.1% increase from the previous year.  In addition to their financial contributions, Americans volunteered over 15.5 billion hours of their time to charitable causes, worth an estimated $272 billion.  It is in this context that the Marines at U.S. Embassy Algiers donated their time to organizing this holiday event for the children at Bab El Oued Hospital.

Photos from the Marines' Visit to Bab El Oued's Pediatric Center