Guadalupe Valley Family Violence Shelter accepts a GVEC Power Up grant for $14,899. The Shelter will apply its grant toward the expansion of mental health services. That expansion will include the addition of various furnishings and office equipment to unused and underused space to help increase the shelter’s capacity for providing client counseling. It will also include the replacement of existing playground equipment for client children whose parents receive counseling. Pictured L to R: GVEC Community Relations Representative Kasie Tankersley; Shelter Executive Director Jennifer Fernandez; Sexual Assault Program Coordinator Stephanie Johnson; Board Vice President Dianne Chamber; Director of Development and Communications Delilah Reyes; Legal Advocate Kandice Cherry; and GVEC Board Director Shawn Martinez.
(Seguin) — A pair of non-profit organizations in Seguin is among the latest batch of GVEC Power Up Community Grant recipients.
Since the first grant distribution in 2012, more than $3.5 million in grants have helped fund 221 community projects benefitting GVEC members and citizens in communities GVEC serves. These projects range from the purchase of life-saving equipment for first responders and medical facilities to the renovation of local museums, parks, historic places, and community meeting spaces.
Tammy Thompson, GVEC senior marketing and communications manager, says the grant continues strong with eight more nonprofit organizations receiving approximately $137,399.17 in grants. She says these grants, which provide funding assistance for community projects, are made possible by the generous donations of GVEC members supporting the charitable Power Up program.
In the most recent round of distributions, Thompson says Spirit of Joy Lutheran Church and the Guadalupe Valley Family Violence Shelter have both been awarded funding.
She says GVEC is confident that funds will go a long way in helping to serve the 1,400 clients seen each year at the local family violence shelter.
“They serve not only Guadalupe County but also Gonzales, Karnes, and Wilson Counties. Their grant was for $14,899 and that’s going to go to provide essential furnishings and equipment for the counseling services they provide. They are renovating a new area to expand those services as well as a playscape for their outside recreation area and this is so important to this organization because both of these areas support the services they provide and in their words ‘help them to escape an abusive situation and begin their journey toward healing and so we see that as very important and are proud to support that,” said Thompson.
Thompson says Spirit of Joy Lutheran Church here in Seguin received $20,000, which will help the church better serve the community.
“They are currently renovating the library at the former Juan Seguin Elementary School on Dolle Street and they are looking to transform it into a multi-purpose center designed for community outreach and service and so what that means is they are going to use it as a rest and cleanup space for the homeless, a cooling and warming space in extreme temperatures. They are going to host community events for the neighborhood. Open it up as a space for meetings for non-profits when they are not holding programs in there and then they are also hoping to potentially serve as polling place for their districts in the future as well,” said Thompson.
Other Power Up grants awarded during this cycle include: $20,000 to Camp Cummins Activity Center in New Braunfels; $20,000 to Ezzell ISD for new playground equipment; $20,000 to Gonzales County Emergency Management for a mobile generator; $20,000 to Lavaca Medical Center, Hallettsville, for safety and accessibility enhancements to its outdoor fitness trail; $20,000 to Shiner Academic and Athletic Foundation for restoration of the old, multiuse Shiner ISD student gym; and $2,500 to Goliad County Senior Citizens Center for an onsite automated external defibrillator.
Thompson says she hopes this list of recipients inspires additional groups to think about applying for the next round of funding.
“Although applying for a Power Up grant is becoming more competitive as an increasing number of organizations learn about the program, you shouldn’t let this discourage you from applying,” says Christine Presley, GVEC Community Relations Representative. “We receive applications for many worthwhile projects but can only select a few each distribution cycle. If you didn’t receive a grant this time around, we urge you to apply again and to check in with us anytime. We’re here to answer your questions and assist with the application process—we’ll do everything possible to help you submit a well-prepared packet.”
The next application deadline for the Power Up community grant program is August 15, 2023. For program qualifications and an application, visit gvec.org, or call Presley at 830.857.3424 for assistance. Grant applications are also available at GVEC’s five area offices.
GVEC is a progressive cooperative focused on delivering products and services that empower the people and communities in South Central Texas. A trusted, local partner since 1938, today GVEC provides dependable electricity, high-speed internet, and beyond-the-meter services like AC/heating, solar and battery storage solutions, and electrician services. The Cooperative proudly serves over 120,000 consumers in surrounding areas through five customer service locations in Cuero, Gonzales, La Vernia, Schertz, and Seguin.