NEW YORK -- Marines, sailors and coast guardsmen joined volunteers at Times Square Church to meet children in need and share an afternoon together during Project HOPE in an effort to bring aid to other children across the world as part of Fleet Week, May 28th, 2016.
Each child was paired with a sailor, Coast Guardsman or Marine, to learn about each other while enjoying games, live gospel entertainment and to build care packages for other children from around the globe.
“This is the tenth year we have done this, and we do it during Fleet Week because it is an opportunity to bring together homeless children from broken families and oversee a fun afternoon,” said Dr. William Butler, a volunteer at the event. “It gives these children a chance to meet men and women they can look up to and maybe someday aspire to be.”
Throughout the event Marines focused on being a positive and strong influence for the children and making a direct impact in the community, a contribution to creating a better nation and world.
“It’s a chance for us to help the other children in need,” said Cpl. William Linke, a rifleman with 3rd Battalion, 6th Marine Regiment. “They have washcloths, soap, toothbrushes and things like that, so these items are definitely a necessity for these children.”
Fleet Week is an opportunity for service members to connect with the American people and continue to build relationships with people of all walks of life.
“This might be a lifelong positive impression on these children and hopefully encourage them to do something positive when they are older,” said Butler.
Marines serve the American people, a task they don’t take lightly, said Linke.
Fleet Week New York is an opportunity for the public to interact with service members from America’s sea services, spreading awareness of the Navy and Marine Corps’ missions at home and abroad.
“We are not forgetting our place,” said Linke. “We are here to help people and show people that we really care for them. Anything we can do within our communities to help others is what we are all about and is definitely something we should all do.”
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