Fayette Electric Co-op Awards Community Reinvestment Grant to Senior Connections
Fayette Electric Cooperative recently awarded a $10,000 Community Reinvestment Grant to Senior Connections to support renovation efforts at the organization’s new Schulenburg facility, including the development of a commercial kitchen that will help expand meal services and programming for older adults across the region. Pictured from left to right are FEC Director of Marketing, Communications & Training Tracy Denton; Senior Connections Executive Director Amanda Kridel; and FEC Accounting & Finance Manager/CFO James Kielty.
Fayette Electric Cooperative has awarded a $10,000 Community Reinvestment Grant to Amanda Kridel and Senior Connections to support renovation efforts at the organization’s newly acquired facility in Schulenburg, which will serve as the central hub for its growing senior services network.
The grant will help fund the renovation and development of a commercial kitchen, a key component of Senior Connections’ expansion plans. The organization serves older adults across Fayette, Colorado, Lavaca, and Gonzales counties through locations in Schulenburg, Weimar, and Flatonia, and plans to begin serving seniors in La Grange as part of its continued growth.
The commercial kitchen will allow Senior Connections to centralize meal preparation, increase efficiency, reduce costs, and expand its ability to provide nutritious meals to older adults throughout the region. According to the grant application, Senior Connections currently serves more than 450 seniors and has grown from serving approximately 1,500 meals in 2022 to nearly 7,500 meals in 2025.
“Senior Connections was founded on the belief that every older adult deserves opportunities for connection, purpose, and healthy aging,” said Amanda Kridel, executive director of Senior Connections. “This grant investment will help us create the infrastructure needed to serve more seniors, provide nutritious meals, and expand programs that combat isolation in our rural communities. We are incredibly grateful to Fayette Electric Cooperative for sharing our commitment to improving quality of life throughout the region.”
The new facility, located at 421 N. Main Street in Schulenburg, is envisioned as a regional hub for programming, meals, fellowship, and enrichment activities for hundreds of older adults each week. The center will support current operations while providing the capacity needed for future expansion into underserved communities.
“Senior Connections is making a meaningful difference in the lives of older adults across our service area,” said Tracy Denton, director of marketing, communications, and training for Fayette Electric Cooperative. “Their programs provide much more than meals. They create opportunities for friendship, social engagement, and lifelong learning. We are proud to support a project that will strengthen these services and help ensure seniors throughout our communities continue to have a place to connect and thrive.”
The grant reflects Fayette EC’s ongoing commitment to supporting organizations and projects that enhance the quality of life for residents across its service territory. By helping fund the renovation of the new facility, Fayette EC is investing in a project that will support healthy aging, improve access to nutritious meals, and foster stronger community connections for years to come.
About the Grant Program
Fayette Electric Cooperative’s Community Reinvestment Grant Program reinvests eligible unclaimed capital credits into projects that enhance the quality of life in the cooperative’s service area. These funds do not come from member electric rates and do not impact the cooperative’s financial health.
Instead, the program utilizes eligible unclaimed capital credits that would otherwise be turned over to the state. By reinvesting those funds locally, Fayette EC can support initiatives focused on education, economic development, community enrichment, and other projects that create meaningful, long-term benefits for the communities it serves. Through this program, the cooperative demonstrates its ongoing commitment to the cooperative principle of Concern for Community by helping local organizations make lasting, positive impacts across the region.
About Senior Connections Senior Connections is a community-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization serving older adults across Fayette, Colorado, Lavaca, and Gonzales counties. Founded in 2014, the organization provides social interaction, mental stimulation, nutritious meals, and enrichment opportunities designed to enhance the quality of life for older adults while reducing isolation and promoting healthy aging.