LCRA, Bluebonnet Electric Co-op Award $25,000 Grant for Community Center Upgrades

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LCRA and Bluebonnet Electric Cooperative representatives present a $25,000 grant to the Delhi Community Center for building upgrades. The grant is part of LCRA’s Community Development Partnership Program. Pictured, from left to right, are: Rick Arnic, LCRA Governmental and Regional Affairs representative; Gary McMullen, Delhi Community Center president; Ray Rodgers, community center trustee; Milton Shaw, Bluebonnet director; Lori A. Berger, LCRA Board member; David Reininger, community center trustee; Danney Rodgers, community center trustee; Joyce Buckner, Bluebonnet representative; and Johnny Sanders, Bluebonnet representative.

The Delhi Community Center soon will perform a variety of building upgrades to help the historic building continue to serve as a meeting place for area residents, thanks to a $25,000 community development grant from the Lower Colorado River Authority and Bluebonnet Electric Cooperative.

The grant, along with $15,000 in local contributions, will allow the center to install insulation, sheetrock and new electrical work throughout the building, including installing new indoor and outdoor breaker boxes. The funds also will pay to replace outdoor restrooms with new indoor facilities that comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act and make other needed repairs such as leveling the building.

“These repairs and upgrades will allow us to keep the heart and soul of our community in good condition,” said Rebecca McMullen, Delhi Community Center secretary. “The community center provides a gathering place for family reunions, fundraisers, training, club meetings, bunco parties, and wedding and baby showers.”

The community center is housed in a structure built in 1890 that once served as the area’s school. In 1947, the school consolidated with another district, but the two-room building remained to serve as a gathering place for community residents.

“This building has always been at the center of our community, and there are still residents who have fond memories of attending school there,” McMullen said. “Almost everyone who has lived here for some length of time has a personal connection to the building.”

The building still displays photos of some of the students who attended school there.

“We don’t have another indoor gathering place, so we are grateful for the people before us who saw the importance of hanging on to this facility and scraped together about $200 to buy it from the school district in 1947,” McMullen said. “They had the foresight to preserve it so that we have it now, and we are thankful for this grant that will allow us to make improvements and repairs so it can be passed along to another generation.”

The community grant is one of a number of grants recently awarded through LCRA’s Community Development Partnership Program. The program provides economic development and community assistance grants to cities, counties, volunteer fire departments, regional development councils and other nonprofit organizations in LCRA’s wholesale electric and water service areas. The program is part of LCRA’s effort to give back to the communities it serves. Bluebonnet Electric Cooperative is one of LCRA’s wholesale electric customers and a partner in the grant program.

Applications for the next round of grants are due Jan. 31. More information is available at
lcra.org/cdpp.

About LCRA
​The Lower Colorado River Authority serves customers and communities throughout Texas by managing the lower Colorado River; generating and transmitting electric power; ensuring a clean, reliable water supply; and offering access to nature at more than 40​ parks, recreation areas and river access sites along the Texas Colorado River, from the Hill Country to the Gulf Coast. LCRA and its employees are committed to enhancing the lives of Texans through water stewardship, energy and community services. LCRA was created by the Texas Legislature in 1934. For more information, visit
lcra.org.

About Bluebonnet

Bluebonnet Electric Cooperative is one of the largest electric cooperatives in Texas and has been serving its members since 1939. Bluebonnet serves nearly 95,000 meters and owns and maintains more than 11,000 miles of power lines, located across more than 3,800 square miles within 14 Central Texas counties. Bluebonnet’s service area stretches from Travis County to Washington County, and from Milam County to Gonzales County. For more information about Bluebonnet Electric Cooperative, go to
bluebonnet.coop  and follow the co-op on Facebook and Twitter.

Media Contact
Clara Tuma
512–578–3292
clara.tuma@lcra.org


Source: LCRA Business News

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