SEVCA will celebrate Harald Schmidtke for 25 years of helping others

CHESTER, Vt. — Each year, Southeastern Vermont Community Action (SEVCA) holds an event to celebrate the year’s achievements and to recognize staff, volunteers, and community members for their outstanding contributions to achieving SEVCA’s mission of reducing the causes and moving toward the elimination of poverty. This year’s event will serve as a very special tribute to Harald Schmidtke, a much-loved community leader, colleague, and friend, who passed away on April 2.

As SEVCA’s weatherization director, Schmidtke dedicated the past 25 years of his life to reducing energy costs and improving the lives of vulnerable Windham and Windsor County residents.

SEVCA staff, board, supporters and friends will gather from 5-8 p.m. Thursday, May 31 at the American Legion Post 67 in Chester to celebrate and reflect on the “enormous and lasting contribution Harald has made to the community through his leadership of the Weatherization Program,” according to a press release.

Geoff Wilcox, Weatherization Program administrator at the Vermont Office of Economic Opportunity (OEO), will share his experiences of working closely with Schmidtke over the past two decades to implement the state’s ambitious Weatherization Assistance Program (WAP), along with reflections on the importance of the program to its low income beneficiaries.

“SEVCA was one of my favorite agencies to visit, no matter what the occasion, due to its awesome team vibe and dedication to help struggling families no matter what it took,” he said. “It was this atmosphere that Harald created and fostered. His warm, caring, and large personality will be greatly missed in our Vermont Weatherization network.”

SEVCA’s Executive Director Steve Geller, who worked closely with Schmidtke for the past 14 years, said, “What stands out the most about Harald’s legacy is the fact that he was fiercely committed to not just his program and his staff, but to all of SEVCA and our mission, and to the success of the entire Community Action movement and the War on Poverty. This was a deeply heartfelt cause for him, not just a job.”

For more information or to attend, contact Linda Brooks at (802) 722-4575 or [email protected].

SEVCA was established in 1965 as part of the national War on Poverty to address the needs of low-income residents of Windham and Windsor Counties. In addition to providing a safety net for households in financial crisis, its services help them stabilize their lives, make their homes safe and energy-efficient, take strides toward becoming self-reliant, and enable their children to escape the generational poverty cycle. Programs include crisis fuel and housing assistance, family services, 3SquaresVT (Food Stamp) Outreach, weatherization, home repair, small business assistance, health programs, Head Start and more.