People
Building on his talents
Every night, Russian children climb into bed at a Kolomne orphanage, pull their blankets around them, and drift off into a safe, healthful, peaceful slumber—a sleep “built” by a 75-year-old Canadian contractor. Harry
Schmidt, a 30-year member of the Abbotsford, British Columbia, Kiwanis club, has two passions: building
and building. Through his business, Harwood Industries, he constructs affordable housing for low-income families.
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Harry Schmidt (above) |
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Through the Schmidt Family Foundation, he constructs health clinics, schools, and orphanages in areas where children
normally live without clean water, adequate shelter, and medical care. In Russia, for example, Harry and the foundation established the Kolomne orphanage for 230 children disabled by the 1986 Chernobyl disaster.
Harry’s mission to improve conditions
for children around the world
has led him to Ethiopia, Russia, India,
Paraguay, and
the Philippines.
Currently, he
is building a
55,000-square-foot
school in
the Ukraine and
a cattle farm in
Namibia.
Through the
years, Harry has
received many
requests and suggestions for clinics
and schools, but oftentimes, restrictions
prevent construction or local
commitments cannot adequately support
and maintain a facility. Over the
years, Harry and his staff have developed
a reliable system for selecting
sites. A potential location, for example,
must have a stable food supply.
At least one person, who has lived in
the community for three years, must
commit to the project.
If all criteria are met, the Schmidt
Family Foundation raises money for
clean water systems, clothing, and
additional food. Companies associated
with the
foundation pay
for materials
and construction
costs.
A father of
four now grown
children, Harry
says he prefers
to work on projects
that focus
on children. To
explain, he recalls meeting a young
boy during a visit to India.
“He was light as a feather,” Harry
says. “I held him close to me, and
when I looked at him, he had the most
perfect smile. He couldn’t speak, but
he had that perfect smile.”—Sarah Moreland, member,
Circle K Club of Ball State University,
Muncie, Indiana |
