LCRA awards $20,000 grant to Coleman County Center for Seniors
New insulation will help transform vacant building into active community center
MAY 1, 2025
COLEMAN, Texas – The Coleman County Center for Seniors soon will install insulation to help refurbish its newly acquired building into a vibrant, year-round community center, thanks to a $20,000 grant from the Lower Colorado River Authority and $5,000 in matching funds from the center.
The Community Development Partnership Program grant will help provide critical upgrades to create an energy-efficient, welcoming space for senior activities, Meals on Wheels operations and broader community events.
“This grant is an important first step for us,” said Tina Rankin, director of the Coleman County Center for Seniors. “We’ve been out of our old building for almost a year, ever since the flooding last May, and it’s been hard on our seniors. This new building will allow us to start fresh and give our Meals on Wheels program and dine-in guests a safe, comfortable place to gather, eat and socialize again.”
The insulation project is the first major step in getting the new building up and running. Key areas such as the kitchen, crafts room, food pantry and storage spaces will be insulated, helping protect food products, maintain safe temperatures and create a more comfortable environment for activities such as quilting, wellness screenings and other community events.
“For many of our visitors, the center isn’t just about a meal, it’s about having a place to socialize and belong,” Rankin said. “Some live alone or don’t have family nearby, and others don’t have the means to go to restaurants to meet up with friends. Without a senior center, they lose that social connection, and it can really affect their mental health. Having a new space where they can gather again will make a huge difference in their lives.”
The center continued to provide Meals on Wheels service out of a local Methodist church since May 2024, but the loss of a permanent gathering space left seniors without a vital hub for socialization, activities and community support. Future plans include installing plumbing and completing kitchen and bathroom facilities to fully reopen the new center.
The Coleman County Center for Seniors serves as a site for wellness screenings, educational programs, political forums and other important community events.
The community grant is one of 45 grants awarded recently through LCRA’s Community Development Partnership Program, which helps volunteer fire departments, local governments, emergency responders and nonprofit organizations fund eligible 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.
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.
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