LCRA, City of La Grange award $23,500 grant for new generator at emergency shelter

Backup power supply will help Crosspoint Community Church hall continue to serve as a community shelter during emergencies

LCRA and City of La Grange representatives present a $23,500 grant to Crosspoint Community Church for a new generator for its fellowship hall, which also serves as a community emergency shelter. The grant is part of LCRA’s Community Development Partnership Program. Pictured, from left to right, are: Kate Ramzinski, LCRA Regional Affairs representative; Roy Bolton, elder; Chris Little, lead pastor; Margaret D. “Meg” Voelter, LCRA Board member; Paul Biles, elder; Roy “Butch” Moore, deacon and Crosspoint head of disaster relief; Stephen Kelly, church member and Fayette County Firefighters Association president; Jan Dockery, mayor; Cassie Austin, Fayette County court administrator; and Jack Thompson, city manager.

LA GRANGE, Texas – A $23,500 grant from the Lower Colorado River Authority and the City of La Grange will help Crosspoint Community Church, the only designated Red Cross shelter in Fayette County, add a generator to help ensure power remains available at the site during emergencies.

The LCRA Community Development Partnership Program grant, along with about $6,500 in matching funds and in-kind donations from the church and its members, will allow the Crosspoint fellowship hall to continue safely housing people affected by storms, wildfires and other emergencies even when electrical service is interrupted.

During Winter Storm Uri in 2021, the fellowship hall sheltered more than 150 people. The hall did not lose power during the event, but county and church leadership decided they should obtain a backup power source for instances when electrical service may be lost, said Roy “Butch” Moore, a deacon and head of disaster relief at Crosspoint.

“This is so important for the resilience of our community because in case we lose power, this will let us power the part of the fellowship hall where people sleep and can eat and recover,” Moore said.

In addition to serving the Crosspoint hall, the generator will be mounted on a trailer and can serve other facilities in the area when needed.

“There was something just the other day,” Moore said. “A nursing home’s power went down. Now we can let them know, ‘We have this generator and can help when things like that happen.’”

The community grant is one of 44 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 La Grange 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.

Contact Info

Clara Tuma, Public Information Officer
512-578-3292
[email protected]
After hours: 512-944-6719