The Delhi Community Center will be able to complete its building renovations by installing new windows and exterior siding thanks to a $25,000 grant from Bluebonnet Electric Cooperative and the Lower Colorado River Authority.
 
The Community Development Partnership Program grant, along with $15,000 in matching contributions, will allow the center in Delhi to replace broken windows and deteriorating vinyl siding.
 
“Now we can replace the broken pieces of the center’s exterior to prevent any damage from the elements to all the restorations we already completed inside the building,” said Rebecca McMullen, secretary of the Delhi Community Center Association. “The grant will help us keep a valuable piece of our history in use. This building has been a part of Delhi for a long time, and it still serves an important role as a place where we, as a community, come together to celebrate each other.”
 
The community center’s building was constructed in 1890 as a one-room schoolhouse. Later, a second room was added to the Delhi School, which remained in use until the public school consolidated with the McMahan School District closer to Lockhart in 1947.
 
“My husband’s family went to school in that very building – both of his parents, his aunts and his uncles,” McMullen said. “We put a lot of work into refurbishing the inside of the building and now we need the outside of it to match. The center has a historical marker out front, and we want visitors who stop to read it to see a building that reflects how much pride we take in our community.”
 
Double-paned windows that more resemble the building’s original windows will help save on utility bills and create a more attractive location for community events, including graduation and birthday parties, reunions, 50th anniversary celebrations and various organization meetings. The Delhi Community Center Association also hosts its annual fundraiser there.
 
“Every year, we throw a Christmas party for the whole community,” McMullen said. “Everyone in our community is so supportive and donates to keep the center going – including people who are new to the area, as well as those who have moved away but still own land here.”

The community grant is one of five grants being awarded by Bluebonnet and the LCRA through LCRA’s Community Development Partnership Program, which helps volunteer fire departments, local governments, emergency responders and nonprofit organizations fund capital improvement projects in LCRA’s wholesale electric, water and transmission 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 is a partner in the grant program.

Applications for the next round of grants will be accepted in January. More information is available at lcra.org/cdpp.