BRENHAM, Texas – Thanks to an $8,445 grant from the Lower Colorado River Authority and the City of Brenham, the Boys & Girls Club of Washington County will be able to replace a faltering air-conditioning unit at its building, which will help the club keep its popular summer programs available to area youth. The club also hosts a variety of other community functions at the site.
The Community Development Partnership Program grant, along with $2,500 in matching funds, will pay for the replacement of one of eight air-conditioning units that cool the club’s roughly 16,000-square-foot building near Brenham Junior High School.
The club provides meals and year-round educational and recreational programs for children living in Washington County. Before the pandemic, about 275 children aged 6 to 18 participated in the club’s eight-week summer program.
The club’s building is nearly 17 years old, and several of its air-conditioning units need to be replaced in the next few years. With the help of the grant, the organization will be able to replace one unit that “we think has been through its last summer,” said Stephanie Wehring, executive director of the Boys & Girls Club of Washington County.
“This grant comes at a perfect time for us,” Wehring said. “We’ll start our summer program in June, and this allows us to replace one smaller AC unit that’s in dire need of replacement. Doing this will allow us to continue to run our programs for the club and community without fear of having to cancel any of them as we move into the summer months.
“It really is a big relief, and this project means a lot to our club,” Wehring said. “We operate with a pretty tight, slim staff and budget, and we watch all of our dollars. This means some funds are freed up to be put directly toward summer programs. The summer is our most expensive time because kids are here every day, all day.”
As part of its summer program, the club serves breakfast, lunch and a snack each weekday to participating youths, who also enjoy field trips to the nearby Blue Bell Aquatic Center and other area attractions.
The community grant is one of 25 grants awarded recently 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. The City of Brenham 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 July. 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; providing a clean, reliable water supply; and offering outdoor adventures at more than 40 parks along the Colorado River from the Texas Hill Country to the Gulf Coast. LCRA and its employees are committed to fulfilling our mission to enhance the quality of life of the Texans we serve through water stewardship, energy and community service. LCRA was created by the Texas Legislature in 1934 and receives no state appropriations. For more information, visit lcra.org.
Media Contact
Clara Tuma
512–578–3292
clara.tuma@lcra.org
