ILSAN IS A TOWN

I thought I should take some time and explain to you how Ilsan Town works.  It's a town in and of itself. There is one big building that has homes upstairs and downstairs. 

Each home has a special name, and several of them are named after each Holt child in the family. Each home either houses men or women.  Each house has residents with similar disabilities in them.  There can be anywhere from 3 - 8 residents (possibly more) that live in these homes with their house mother's. There are several house mother's for each home, they take shifts during the day/night and week/weekends.  On any given day they are at least two house mother's in a home at a time.  These women work tirelessly, feeding, bathing, clothing, and providing stability for these residents.  There is one new addition to these homes that wasn't here when I first visited in 2000.  All the homes now have electric sliding glass doors!

This is the main kitchen.  All the food for the residents is prepared in this one central kitchen for all of Ilsan Town.  The electric car parked in front, delivers breakfast, lunch and dinner to each of the homes including Molly's. This consists of rice, soup and usually two side dishes for each meal. Leftovers from a previous meal usually end up on the table as well.  The Korean way - nothing is wasted. 

  

Holt even has their own school right next to Ilsan Town.  It provides an education for kindergarten through 12th grade, specifically for special needs children.  Even special needs children that live in the neighborhood are allowed to attend Holt's school.  Holt even has their own yellow school buses that pick the children up at Ilsan or in the neighborhood.

Holt also has a workshop in Ilsan Town.  Large companies will provide Ilsan with basic jobs the residents can do. The residents can make money working in the workshop.  Currently, they are working for a large department store, putting string in the shopping bags and tying knots in them.

Holt's Ilsan Town is an amazing place for special needs people.  They are given an opportunity to live a normal life.  They are taught everything from feeding themselves, to having a job, to interacting with mainstream society (i.e., weekly trips to E-Mart to buy things with the money they've earned).  This town has proven to be a success, based on the many expansions that have been done; and are being planned.  Not to mention the several marriages that have occurred among residents! They built a special apartment building in Ilsan Town for married couples! several have even had children of their own.

It's a priviledge and an honor to be a part of such a wonderful program for these residents! Other countries institutionalize these handicapped individuals - put them in a home and let a t.v. babysit them till they're dying day.  But here they have a family, a mother, a school, a way to make a living...they have a full and productive life, thanks to Holt.