Post by Macmoish on Nov 22, 2011 17:05:57 GMT
Leyton Orient Official Site
Orient Trio Visit Jewish Care
Posted on: Fri 18 Nov 2011
by James Masters
ORIENT trio Ben Chorley, Terrell Forbes and Moses Odubajo were the guests of honour at Vi & John Rubens House as part of the national Mitzvah Day celebrations.
The players visited the Jewish Care home in Gants Hill where they spent the afternoon with residents talking, singing and laughing to mark a Jewish-led day of social action across the world.
Chorley, who visited the home last year, says he was humbled after meeting several residents including 105-year-old Millie Gee, who he spoke to 12 months ago.
"It makes you feel quite humble when you do this sort of thing," said Chorley.
"We worry about things in life like I do at the moment as I'm injured, but then I go into the home and see some of the people and what they have to go through.
"They're still very upbeat, very confident and don't worry about anything in life. It makes you feel humble and very lucky to be this young and to be doing what we're doing.
"It's important for players to do these things and we visit schools and other places.
"But to come somewhere like here puts life into perspective. It's going to come to us all in the end, old age, there's no way around it.
"I only hope I can be like some of those people I met. I'd come back any time, I'd come back next month or whenever to make these people happy."
Orient are the only club in the entire Football League to take part in Mitzvah Day and visit the home, which offers personal, nursing, dementia and respite care.
Defender Forbes, who purchased a hand knitted blue and white scarf from 95-year-old Hetty Tauber, also revealed he found the visit to be intensely emotional.
"There was a moment where this lady was saying she was 105 and she was saying that there are three things in life which are important," he said.
"To be humble, don't worry about things and to fight against your illnesses and don't sit and moan about it.
"There was another lady who sang to me and she was like Frank Sinatra. It was unbelievable. It was touching and I nearly cried five times. My eyes were filling up."
The three players posed for photos with residents and care workers and have already announced their intention to donate tickets to the employees of the home.
A spokesperson for Jewish Care said: "We are really grateful to Howard Gould and everyone at Leyton Orient Football Club for making this possible.
"It means so much to the residents and makes a huge difference to their lives. We're really happy that Ben, Terrell and Moses enjoyed their stay with us and we look forward to welcoming them back in the near future."
www.leytonorient.com/page/NewsDetail/0,,10439~2520118,00.html