Old age home wishes come true
MELVILLE – Church members take the time out to clean up old age home in Melville.
The Eeufees Oord Old Age Home in Melville suffered for a long time, before its wishes were turned into reality.
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints (Mormons) held its annual Helping Hands initiative at the old age home on 20 August. Prior to the day, some of the church followers visited units at the home, where they collected residents’ wishes.
Bishop Malvern Cedras of the church said, wishes included cleaning of the gutters, fixing of the roofs, polishing the stoeps and windows and washing curtains. About 70 members of the church arrived at the old age home to make all the wishes come true.
Even the little ones went around to the units dropping off cookies and muffins. The main hall was repainted, the doors to the hall were fixed, the floors are to be cleaned and the church managed to donate an industrial washing machine for the home.
The women were treated to manicures and pedicures and everyone was treated to hotdogs, cookies and hot beverages. “This will be an ongoing project; we plan to return to this old age home and do what we can again,” said Cedras.
The supervisor of the home, Haroon Patel, said they have had many promises from many organisations that did not do anything in the end. “We are so grateful that the church has walked the talk. We have no assistance from the city council and we wait for months for things to be repaired,” said Patel. He said there are two cars that are wrecked and they have been asking the council to remove them for over a year.
“These cars remind us of the members of the old age home that lived here and have passed on; we would like them to be removed,” he said. Patel said the elders were in dire need as some of their children do not come to visit and the old folk were neglected.
A resident of the home, Mavis Hamer, said they are feeling spoilt and they are grateful to have the church do that for them. The church welcomes any donations as they are planning to make the old age home an ongoing project.
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Eeufees Oord Old Age Home in dilapidation
