With a $325,000 grant, Westbrook’s My Place Teen Center will now own its Main Street building outright.

The grant, coming from the Next Generation Foundation of Maine, is the single largest grant ever awarded to the center, which just a few months ago, shared concern for a potential budget shortfall and overcrowding.

Two months ago, the center was named a 2014 Agency of Distinction among all Maine non-profit organizations by WCSH-TV.

According to a press release issued Thursday, My Place Teen Center director Donna Dwyer was informed of the grant via email.

“The (Next Generation Foundation) trustees said that just under a quarter million dollars would be dedicated to paying off MPTC’s mortgage on its Main Street location with remaining funds to be used toward some of the exterior building repairs and any other repairs deemed necessary,” the release states.

According to its website, the Next Generation Foundation’s mission is to improve health, education, and societal support for the most vulnerable populations of Maine, with specific interest areas focusing on “children and the elderly, the displaced, basic human needs, education, and programs that enhance human health, social equality or Maine’s economy and workforce.”

“What set MPTC apart, remarked the trustees, was the quality of its leadership and the impact the grant will have on the community receiving it,” the release said.

In October, Dwyer told the American Journal that the center is on track to serve more than 17,000 meals this year, up from 14,000 in 2013. That’s 50-70 meals per day, up from 35-40 last year. The center’s weekly regional supper on Wednesday has averaged 150 meals.

“We don’t know why the marked increase or its consistency,” she said. “On one hand, it’s great, but on the other, it points out the dire justification for further assistance.”