LCRA, PEC award $19,125 grant for major improvements to Driftwood Community Center
New emergency exit door, ramp will enable center to double its capacity
Oct. 31, 2025
LCRA and Pedernales Electric Cooperative representatives present a $19,125 grant to the Driftwood Historical Conservation Society for improvements to the Driftwood Community Center. The grant is part of LCRA’s Community Grants program. Pictured in the front row, from left to right, are: Elizabeth Ehlers, LCRA Regional Affairs representative; Mikayla Herron, PEC community outreach specialist; Melissa K. Blanding and Margaret D. “Meg” Voelter, LCRA Board members; Denton Ragland, conservation society board president; and Kevyn Packer, PEC community outreach specialist. Back row: Bob Deaton, beautification committee chair and residents advisory panel member; John Gerlaugh, residents advisory panel chair; Cara Wyland, board secretary; Ray Beets, building committee chair; Robin Melanson, community center operations chair; Allison Allen, board 1st vice president; Lori Cofano, residents advisory panel member and volunteer grants coordinator; Leigh-Anne Zuela, residents advisory panel member; and Melissa Harris, community engagement committee co-chair.
HAYS COUNTY, Texas – The Driftwood Community Center soon will be able to host bigger groups and community events, thanks to a $19,125 grant from the Lower Colorado River Authority and Pedernales Electric Cooperative.
The community grant, along with $5,750 in matching funds from the Driftwood Historical Conservation Society, will help the center address accessibility and safety regulations by adding an emergency exit door and ADA-accessible exterior ramp. The center, which currently has only one entrance, serves as a polling site and hosts family events, classes, meetings and more.
“Right now, our capacity is limited by fire code to only allow 49 people in at a time,” said Denton Ragland, Driftwood Historical Conservation Society president. “We currently have 370 members, so this will be a huge capacity builder for us. We will immediately be able to more than double the amount of people that can be at the facility at one time, and it will also give us the ability to host more groups from around the area.”
The community center is a former schoolhouse that has been in use since it was built more than 100 years ago. Among other events, it hosts a potluck dinner that has been meeting monthly since World War II.
“The building means a great deal to a lot of people,” Ragland said. “It’s part of the heritage of the community. Since 1920, when it was built by the community as a school, it has been a gathering place for the people of Driftwood. Our goal as an organization and with this grant is to continue to preserve the rural beauty, heritage and sense of community that make Driftwood special.”
This is one of 41 grants awarded recently through LCRA Community Grants. These grants are awarded twice a year as part of LCRA’s effort to give back to communities in its wholesale electric, water and transmission service areas. Pedernales Electric Cooperative is one of LCRA’s wholesale electric customers and is a partner in the Community Grants program.
Applications for the next round of grants will be accepted in January. More information is available at lcra.org/cdpp.
About PEC
Founded in 1938 by then-Congressman Lyndon B. Johnson, Pedernales Electric Cooperative Inc. is the nation’s largest member-owned distribution electric cooperative serving more than 430,000 meters across the Texas Hill Country. An industry-recognized leader providing outstanding member service and reliable electricity, PEC conducts its business via a transparent and democratic process and encourages member participation.
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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