AARP Awards Grants to 10 New York Organizations as Part of its Nationwide Program to Make Communities More Livable

ALBANY, N.Y., June 28, 2023 /PRNewswire/ — Today, AARP New York announced 10 organizations throughout the state will receive 2023 Community Challenge grants – part of the largest group of grantees to date with $3.6 million awarded among 310 organizations nationwide. Grantees will implement quick-action projects that help communities become more livable by improving public places; transportation; housing; digital connections; diversity, equity and inclusion; and more, with an emphasis on the needs of adults age 50 and older.

“AARP New York is committed to working with local leaders to improve residents’ quality of life through tangible changes,” said AARP NY State Director Beth Finkel. “We are proud to collaborate with this year’s grantees as they make immediate improvements in their communities to jumpstart long-term change, especially for New Yorkers 50 and over.”

Here in New York, projects funded include:

• Fulton Block Builders will receive $2,500 so volunteers can create a community garden by planting flowers, weeding and watering garden plots, and hanging colorful banners around a neglected gazebo.
• The Town of Woodstock will receive $2,500 for five walk audits at critical intersections and areas of high commercial activity to pinpoint safety concerns and solutions. Two community meetings will be held to discuss the results.
• Transportation Alternatives will receive $2,500 for a walk audit series along a major waterfront thoroughfare on Staten Island’s north shore to evaluate safety infrastructure for pedestrians and propose improvements for a long-term transformation of the route.
• Victor Hiking Trails was granted $2,500 to conduct four walk audits in an area known for heavy automobile traffic, with a goal of providing safer and more accessible opportunities for walking and biking to the village’s commercial district.
• Suffolk County Economic Development Corporation’s $10,000 grant toward a competition to encourage residents to envision new ways of designing accessory dwelling units (ADUs), which offer a needed form of affordable housing that can be integrated into neighborhoods.
• Brushton-Moira Adult Center will receive $13,149 to renovate a senior center, including updating a kitchen and dining area and installing an outdoor LED sign board.
• Fordham University’s Center for Community Engaged Learning will receive $25,000 to convert an underutilized lot into a farmers market that will provide cooking demonstrations and essential services for older adults.
• Homeward NYC will use the $12,000 grant to provide free, in-unit Wi-Fi access in affordable housing apartments for low-income and formerly homeless older adults.
• Rural Housing Coalition will receive $15,000 to provide training and assistance to nonprofit organizations and community developers to increase the number of municipalities that permit accessory dwelling units (ADUs).
• Syracuse Housing Authority’s $11,000 grant will fund projectors and screens to expand the type and variety of programming, events and activities for residents at six public housing buildings for older adults and people with disabilities.

AARP Community Challenge grant projects will be funded in all 50 states, Washington, D.C., Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands. True to the program’s quick-action nature, projects must be completed by November 30, 2023.

This year, the AARP Community Challenge accepted applications across three different grant opportunities, including existing flagship grants in addition to new capacity-building microgrants for improving walkability and community gardens. New demonstration grants will focus on improving transportation systems, with funding support provided by Toyota Motor North America, and housing choice design competitions.

AARP is also bolstering its investment in rural communities, mobility innovation, transportation options, and health and food access.

“These grants continue to lead to long-term, positive changes in communities across the country,” said Nancy LeaMond, AARP Executive Vice President and Chief Advocacy & Engagement Officer. “This year, we are proud to support the largest number of projects in the program’s seven-year history, which will improve residents’ quality of life through tangible changes so everyone can thrive as they age.”

The grant program is part of AARP’s nationwide Livable Communities initiative, which supports the efforts of cities, towns, neighborhoods and rural areas to become great places to live for people of all ages, especially those age 50 and older. Since 2017, AARP NY has awarded 37 grants and $469,113 through the program to nonprofit organizations and government entities across the state.

View the full list of grantees and their project descriptions at aarp.org/communitychallenge and learn more about AARP’s livable communities work at aarp.org/livable.

About AARP
AARP is the nation’s largest nonprofit, nonpartisan organization dedicated to empowering people 50 and older to choose how they live as they age. With a nationwide presence, AARP strengthens communities and advocates for what matters most to the more than 100 million Americans 50-plus and their families: health security, financial stability and personal fulfillment. AARP also produces the nation’s largest circulation publications: AARP The Magazine and AARP Bulletin. To learn more, visit www.aarp.org/about-aarp/, www.aarp.org/español or follow @AARP, @AARPenEspañol and @AARPadvocates on social media.

SOURCE AARP New York