[Congressional Record Volume 141, Number 72 (Wednesday, May 3, 1995)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E935-E936]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]


             STATEMENT MARKING ANNIVERSARY OF HOLLAND HOME

                                 ______


                           HON. MARGE ROUKEMA

                             of new jersey

                    in the house of representatives

                         Wednesday, May 3, 1995
  Mrs. ROUKEMA. Mr. Speaker, I rise to call attention to the 100th 
anniversary of the Holland Christian Home, which is located in North 
Haledon, NJ. The Holland Home is an excellent example of what private 
citizens can do to help those in need through their churches, civic 
groups and other organizations. It is a 151-bed home for the aged, 
fully licensed by the State and complete with skilled nursing care and 
other services that has developed from simple roots.
  The Holland Home shows was people with vision can do when confronted 
with a problem in need of a solution. The founders of the home were 
church and community leaders who applied Christian principles to help 
all in their community, rather than waiting for the Government to solve 
their problems for them. That is a philosophy that is returning today, 
as the public realizes that ``big government'' is not always the 
answer. It was a concept that can work as well in 1995 as it worked in 
1895.
  The Holland Home traces its history to the early 1890s in Paterson, 
N.J., when members of several Dutch-speaking churches in the area 
addressed the difficulty of caring for elderly members, particularly 
those who had no children to provide for them. Remember, this was 
before Social Security or Medicare. The Reverend Reinder Drukker, who 
had come to New Jersey from Michigan, suggested that the churches 
construct a facility similar to the Holland Home he had visited in 
Grand Rapids. It was described as ``an institution where the aged might 
spend their remaining days in comfort and Christian fellowship.'' The 
Reverend Drukker joined with the Reverend Helenus Nies of the Union 
Reformed Church; Cornelius Poelstra, publisher of a Dutch-language 
newspaper; and another civic leader, Henry Gardenier, to form the 
Holland Christian Home Association. The fund-raising drive began at an 
April 10, 1895, meeting where a collection was taken up to cover the $5 
cost of renting a meeting hall--$8.09 was collected and the balance was 
the beginning of the building fund.
  On Thanksgiving Day, 1898, a two-story, 34-by-36-foot building with 
10 rooms for residents was dedicated in Paterson. The total 
[[Page E936]] cost, with much of the labor and many materials donated, 
was $2,037. It is important to note that this facility was built during 
a slow economy: when fund-raising proved slow, the foundation and 
basement were built without cost, completely with donated labor and 
materials. Cows, chickens and a vegetable garden were kept on the 
grounds in order to hold down the cost of feeding the elderly 
residents.
  The structure quickly proved too small, and expansions were conducted 
in 1904 and 1922. The home was forced to move in 1960 after plans for 
Interstate 80 called for the new highway to go through the site of the 
existing home. The current facility in North Haledon--built at a cost 
of roughly $600,000 including land--was dedicated October 15, 1960. 
Expansions were constructed in 1969, the early 1970s, 1979, and 1987.
  From its humble beginnings, the home has grown to a modern, 100-
employee facility with a staff of registered nurses, licensed practical 
nurses, certified aides, an activity director, and social services 
director. The home is licensed by the State for 99 residential beds and 
52 skilled nursing beds. At the average age of residential residents is 
86 and the average age of skilled nursing residents is 91. The youngest 
resident is 75 and the oldest 107, with several over 100.
  Despite this amount of growth, the home's 16-member board of 
directors is not done. Future plans include development of an number of 
independent living units adjacent to the existing home. The Holland 
Home has already served the elderly of the 19th and 20th centuries and 
clearly will continue providing outstanding care well into the 21st 
century.
  The leaders of the Holland Home are exhibiting what we used to call 
Christian charity. An idea that taken for granted a century ago may 
seem like an innovation today. Let's hope the idea spreads.


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