About Us

Our Mission

The mission of the HELP Initiative is to improve the quality of life, health, safety and economic prospects of Delaware’s low-income communities and populations through:

  • Home energy consumption evaluation, measurement and recommendations at no cost to low-income residents
  • Coordination and implementation of higher-efficiency home lighting, heating and weatherization programs
  • Population education to better understand the reasons behind high energy usage and how behavioral traits contribute to energy usage and energy bills
  • Identification of in-home hazards that may impact the health and safety of residents
  • Increased access to youth vocational training programs and job opportunities
  • Reduced dependence on social-service-based programs

Our Delaware Strong–Unify Delaware Connection

Starting as a targeted and very successful community lighting and safety program, Lights-ON Delaware Strong has since expanded to encompass the entire spectrum of the HELP Initiative’s programs and services. These include Lights-ON, Health-ON, Jobs-ON, Weatherization-ON, Heat-ON and the Home Energy Counseling and Checkup Program. These are now joined and provided under a single overarching brand umbrella: Unify Delaware. Together, they are working as one, lifting up Delaware’s underserved communities through a unified statewide effort.

History

The HELP Initiative was established in Delaware on April 19, 2016, as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. With each successive year, we have increased the breadth and scope of our services and programs, providing them for more communities and broadening our base of energy, technology, healthcare, governmental and vocational partners.

Staff

Charles T. Kistler
Executive Director
Charles T. Kistler has spent over 30 years managing complex information technology; physical security; and life, safety and protection projects funded by the U.S. federal government. Mr. Kistler implemented and managed a nationwide mega center for alarm monitoring, targeted at residential and commercial first responders. He also managed the opening of the largest airports per square mile in the world, located in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, as a Ministry of Aviation and Defense consultant in Saudi Arabia. Licensed as a Private Pilot Single-Engine Land.

Harold Stafford
Government Relations Director
Harold Stafford has over 30 years of experience managing numerous state departments, serving as secretary of labor and acting director of the economic development office and in various divisions in the correction department. As the former secretary of labor, he managed over 500 employees and was responsible for employment, apprenticeship, training, unemployment insurance, vocational rehabilitation and labor-market information.

Mr. Stafford has served as an adjunct professor at Wilmington University, Delaware State University and Wesley College. He established and is currently the CEO of the Stafford Firm, a management consulting business that assists nonprofits and government agencies in implementing quality standards to improve performance and streamline operations.

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Bether Rojas
Deputy Director

Bether Rojas has been in the energy-efficiency industry since 2015 and is currently the HELP Initiative Deputy Director. Bether has managed the Heating Repair and Replacement Program and participated in the design, development and implementation of energy education workshops, marketing and outreach material, and program campaigns with a K-12 focus. She also manages the Social Media Platform and Website Creative Design and Implementation Project for the HELP Initiative.  Bether is a degreed architect who strongly believes that safe and healthy housing empowers communities to achieve great things. She is passionate about serving those community members in need and has built a strong adaptive team of talented individuals who can overcome unexpected challenges and high-risk environments.