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.
The Ellinger Chamber of Commerce will make significant improvements to the Ellinger Community Center, thanks to a $21,315 grant from the Lower Colorado River Authority and Bluebonnet Electric Cooperative.
The grant, along with $9,135 in matching funds from the Chamber, will allow for purchase of a walk-in cooler for food storage, HVAC unit and additional duct work.
A $19,583 grant from Bluebonnet Electric Cooperative and the Lower Colorado River Authority will help Martindale Volunteer Fire and Rescue purchase a utility terrain vehicle to assist with river rescues and patient transports.
The Community Development Partnership Program grant, along with $4,896 in matching funds, will provide the department with a reliable rescue vehicle to access areas along the San Marcos River that are hard to reach with standard firetrucks or brush trucks.
The South Lee County Volunteer Fire Department will repair and update its station’s parking lot, thanks to a $25,000 grant from the Lower Colorado River Authority and Bluebonnet Electric Cooperative.
The Community Development Partnership Program grant, along with $20,000 in matching funds, will replace the gravel parking lot with 8 inches of reinforced concrete and add handicapped-accessible parking in the front of the station.
With the support of a $50,000 grant from Bluebonnet Electric Cooperative and the Lower Colorado River Authority, the Caldwell County Fire Chiefs Association will construct a new fire training facility that can be used by fire departments throughout the area.
With generous support from the community, the association has raised an additional $60,000 in matching funds for the new facility, which can be used by departments in Caldwell County and neighboring counties.
A $20,000 grant from Bluebonnet Electric Cooperative and the Lower Colorado River Authority will help the McMahan Volunteer Fire Department replace the deteriorating 30-year-old metal siding on its fire station.
The Community Development Partnership Program grant, along with $5,000 in matching funds, will allow the department to re-side the fire station and get rid of openings in the existing siding that are leading to energy waste and higher heating and cooling bills. The holes also expose valuable equipment to weather damage, wildlife and theft.
Story by Clayton Stromberger
Photos by Sarah Beal
Travel to communities and picturesque parts of the Bluebonnet Electric Cooperative service area, and you will likely pass dozens of locations — a volunteer fire station, a community center, a small nonprofit — with equipment, a new or renovated building, a park or a program made possible with help from the Lower Colorado River Authority and Bluebonnet.
