Reliable Enterprises Gets $84,000 Grant for Expansion, Energy Efficiency

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Reliable Enterprises has received a grant of more than $84,000 from the Centralia Coal Transition Weatherization Board that will be used to fund the organization’s expansion and energy efficiency efforts.

The grant is the third one to be awarded by the weatherization board, one of three boards tasked with allocating $55 million over 10 years to ease the impacts as TransAlta shifts away from coal. The money was donated by TransAlta. 

Reliable Enterprises will use the money to convert 5,000 square feet of empty warehouse space into offices to accommodate growth in the organization’s programs and to consolidate management to one location.

Brett Mitchell, executive director of Reliable Enterprises, said the expansion will include 13 offices and two meeting spaces. It allows the organization to bring all of its program managers, with the exception of In-Tot, to one central location. 

“Being able to put our management personnel in one location will help us to facilitate quicker and to be more efficient and collaborative in our decision making,” he said. 

The grant will also be used to make the space more efficient, with insulated steel doors, new exterior insulation, energy efficient windows, LED lighting fixtures and a new 95 percent high efficiency gas forced air furnace with heat pumps, according to a press release from TransAlta. 

The organization included the $362,000 project in its budget, so Mitchell said the $84,112 saved by the grant award can now be funneled into providing more services to the community.

Reliable Enterprises operates a large umbrella of services reaching about 1,000 people on a monthly basis. Services vary from providing affordable housing for those in need and resources for disabled persons, to early childhood learning.

“That money will build into more services as opposed to the office building,” Mitchell said. 

The expansion into the warehouse space, which was primarily used for storage of donated materials, has been a long time coming. 

According to Mitchell, after Reliable experienced growth in many of its programs, there weren’t enough office spaces available. People had to double up in offices, creating a less than ideal working environment. Now, between 20 and 23 people will be able to work in the expanded area.

“We’re excited about this and can hardly wait,” he said. “It’s a nicer environment all the way through. By redirecting that money we can strengthen more programs we provide to the community.” 



The energy efficient touches will also allow the organization to save even more money, which can once again be funneled into the services it provides.

The expansion is expected to be completed in May. 

"This grant greatly supplements the remodel, expansion and consolidation of Reliable Enterprises staff at an existing location that in turn will free up another building to directly serve children and families,” Mitchell said. 

The space being vacated by the Head Start program administrators will be repurposed into a visitation center where court ordered visitations can take place. 

Reliable Enterprises operates that service in nine counties. Mitchell said the setting will provide a home-like environment that is friendly for kids trying to get back together with their families. 

Debbie Campbell, chairwoman of the weatherization board, congratulated Mitchell and his team for “thinking outside of the box” when applying and utilizing the funds to improve efficiency in the nonprofit organization.

“One of our goals as a board is to fund projects that have partnering opportunities with the community and other agencies that provide weatherization programs to expand the impact of the program,” she said in the release. “The board’s decision to fund this project does just that by building on their ability to increase their services to their clients.” 

The weatherization board has so far given more than $1.2 million through its three grant awards. The other two grants were awarded to the Fox Theatre in Centralia and the Community Action Council of Lewis, Mason and Thurston Counties. In all, the board has $10 million to award.

The two other boards are the economic and community development board and the energy technology board. The boards have a budget of $20 million and $25 million, respectively. 

Annual payments for the funding boards have been made for the past four years with the last payment due in Dec. 31, 2023. The opportunity to start using the money for projects became available in Dec. 31, 2015.