Mantea Schmid has been a member of St. Elias parish for over thirty years. She came to Dubuque with her husband after stating to him, “ I’m not moving anywhere that doesn’t have an Orthodox Church.” I believe that from her early childhood, Mantea has made living her faith and serving her church as the center of her life. Her generosity has no limits.  She has served in every capacity of church leadership. Mantea doesn’t need to be ‘in charge’ and when she is not, she supports others’ efforts tirelessly. On one hand, Mantea is known to give enormous financial support to the church, and on the other hand, she is taking inventory of toilet paper and hand towels in the bath rooms.

Mantea uses her intelligence, fund raising skills and high energy to tackle tasks many say are impossible. To Mantea, it is not about generosity; it is about serving God.