GVEC MEMBERS HELP THEIR COMMUNITIES THRIVE, Nine more Power Up™ grants awarded

The Power Up community

grant program continues

to grow, with nine more

nonprofit organizations

receiving approximately

$159,675 in grants. 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.

Since the first grant

distribution in 2012, more

than $3.2 million in grants

have helped fund 200 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.

In the most recent

round of distributions,

Hallettsville Volunteer

Fire Department (VFD)

received a Power Up grant

for $20,000; Shiner First

Methodist Church received

a $15,000 award; and Yorktown

EMS received a Power

Up grant for $13,714:

Hallettsville VFD will

apply its grant toward the

purchase of eight new sets

of personal protective

equipment for its firefighting

team. The purchase will

consist of both “bunker”

and “rescue” gear.

Firefighters use bunker

gear for entering and fighting

fires from within burning

structures. Rescue gear

is lighter, more agile and

used for every firefighting

job that doesn’t involve entering

a burning structure.

Shiner First United

Methodist Church will apply

its grant to the church’s

Tri-County Ramp Initiative

(TCRI). TCRI builds ADAcompliant

ramps at no cost

for low-income residents in

Lavaca, Dewitt and Gonzales

Counties. Each ramp,

which is custom-built to

the individual needs of the

user, helps create a better

quality of life for disabled

residents.

Yorktown EMS will apply

its grant toward the

purchase of two leadingedge

mechanical CPR devices.

These devices deliver

high-precision chest

compressions during cardiac

arrest care.

They allow for consistent

compressions onscene,

during transportation

and at the hospital,

freeing medics to allocate

other skills to patient care.

Other Power Up grants

awarded during this cycle

include: $20,000 to the

City of Stockdale Public

Library for a renovation

project; $11,770 to Lake

Dunlap VFD for a firefighting

supply hose; $19,191

to Ottine VFD for upgrading

and replacing selfcontained

breathing apparatus

packs and related

equipment; $20,000 to New

Berlin Community Club for

renovation of its Community

Center interior; $20,000

to SS American Memorial

Foundation for the purchase

of Mariner Portable

Toilets; and $20,000 to

Seguin-Guadalupe County

Senior Citizens Center for

a new AC/heating system.

“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 GVEC

Community Relations Representative

Christine Presley.

“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, 2022. For

program qualifications

and an application, visit

gvec.org, or call Presley

at 830.857.1218 for assistance.

Grant applications

are also available at

GVEC’s five area offices.