Mr. Lee majored in social work when he was a college student. When he took the extention courses that organized by the county government, Immaculate Heart Center for Mentally Handicapped (IHCMH) needed a social worker. He went to apply for the job and was accepted. Mr. Lee has worked here for seven years. His effort has been affirmed by the community, which made him feel encouraged.
Interview with Mr. Lee
◣1. How long have you worked here?
Well, I majored in social work. I used to be a soldier. And I have been a social worker here for seven years.
◣2. Why did you come here to work?
My previous work was at a charity institution like IHCMH. That charity provided board and lodging for students. At night, we should take care of the students and there were many things for us to deal with. I felt that I have overloaded. So I came here.
◣3. Did someone recommend this job to you? Or did you find this job by yourself?
Social workers have a lot of work opportunities on the Internet. For example, we often take the training courses that organized by the county government. So we can know people in this field. We will share news at the meeting. When I knew IHCMH needed a social worker, I applied for this job and was recruited.
◣4. Are you a Catholic?
Mr. Lee answered our questions.
No,I am not. I am a Taiwanese traditional religious believer.
◣5. Have your family been volunteers here?
My niece has been here to be a volunteer. My parents are too old to be volunteers here. Other members in my family should work on weekdays. They still don't have a chance to be volunteers here.
◣6. Do you have any setback in your job?
When we rebuilt the building, we needed so much money. As a social worker, I needed to raise money for the rebuilding. In 2006, the Center was short of funds, and the rebuilding would be delayed for one year. I felt very frustrated.
In fact, my job here is very different from other work. In order to raise money, we constantly made Korean Kimchi, then took it to jumble sale. The situation had lasted for two years. The two years was a difficult time for me.
IHCMH is a daycare institution for the disabled. Some disabled persons are affective disorder. It's hard for them to express what they feel and what they need. Sometimes we don't know how to help them. We just try our best to take care of them.
Mr. Lee recalled the past.
◣7.What do you gain from your work at IHCMH?
I think my greatest achievement is that I certainly get a lot from the community. It makes me feel that my job is so meaningful. Another harvest is to see our students' progress.
◣8. Is there anything making you happy at IHCMH?
In fact, there are a lot of things which make me happy. I observe that some students have bright eyes when they take the physical training course. It is hard to see when they are at home. When our students have little progress, it always makes me so happy. Because a small step of normal person is one giant leap of persons with disabilities.
◣9. What is the change as you work at IHCMH?
The biggest change is my new philosophy. I think the best way to achieve one's goal is just to do it. When we have a new idea or new plan, we often doubt “Can I finish it? Can I find the way to succeed?....” These years we had some big plans at IHCMH. After carrying out a plan, people will help us, and give us more on the concept of harvest. Thinking too much will leave you in a mess.
◣10. What do you do on a workday?
My work is to assist our director and teachers. I work in an administrative department. I am responsible for official documents and dealing with external affairs. I should interact with other associations. We often cooperate with some charities to hold activities. As a social worker, my work is very multivariant.
Finally,we took the pictures with Dr. Lee in front of the office.
From this interview with vice-director, we found that Mr. Lee is so strong-minded. Mr. Lee has worked at IHCMH for over seven years. As he faced the difficulties, he doesn't run away. He tries his best to solve the problems. Now the facilitie and funds at IHCMH are sufficient. It takes all members' efforts. They need to produce goods, raise money, and take care of the defectives. All the processes are full of distress and happiness. The praise from community and the innocent smile of the students support Mr. Lee keeping to strive. We are very touched by their sincerity.
Super Star, Changhua County Lu Ming Junior High School, Taiwan.(For best browsing experience: 1280*1024.)