ALBANY, N.Y. , June 26,
2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Today, AARP New York announced
10 organizations throughout the state will receive 2024 Community
Challenge grants – part of AARP's largest investment in communities
to date with $3.8 million awarded
among 343 organizations nationwide. Grantees will implement
quick-action projects to improve livability for all.
"AARP New York is committed to working with local leaders,
advocates and policymakers to make our communities better places to
live for New Yorkers of all ages, especially those 50 and older,"
said AARP New York State
Director Beth Finkel. "We are
proud to collaborate with this year's grantees as they make
immediate improvements to address long-standing and emerging
challenges across our communities."
Since 2017, nonprofit organizations and government entities
across the state have received 47 grants and $571,588. This year's funded projects
include:
Access to Independence of Cortland County Inc. will
receive $2,500 to provide home safety
training focused on the needs of older adults. Participants will
receive low-cost home safety products for immediate use.
Forestdale Inc. in St.
Albans, Queens, will
receive $15,000 to recruit teenagers
to teach digital skills to older adults. The initiative will help
participants use the internet to conduct business, obtain benefits
and reduce social isolation.
Good Old Lower East Side Inc. will receive $15,000 to provide older adults with bilingual
technology and emergency preparedness education. This includes
how-to workshops on cellphone and computer use and instruction on
avoiding digital scams and phishing.
Lifespan of Greater Rochester Inc. will receive
$10,000 for a volunteer driver
program to provide older adults transportation to attend medical
appointments, grocery shop and run errands. Volunteers will also
accompany older residents for out-patient medical procedures.
Ontario County Office for the Aging will receive
$20,000 to provide pedicab bicycles,
solo tricycles and helmets for county residents age 50 and older.
The bikes and trikes will allow older adults to participate in the
county's riding events, which emphasize health and safety.
St. Paul's Center in
Colonie will receive $20,000 to
help construct 16 one-bedroom apartments in a supportive housing
community for older adults experiencing homelessness. The Center
will also host a series of health literacy, wellness and
aging-in-place workshops for residents.
Street Lab will receive $10,000 to create a pop-up cooling station for
use during hot summer months at three locations near apartments for
older adults in the Bronx. The
cooling station will include accessible seating, shade umbrellas,
plants and elements that produce mist.
Transportation Alternatives Inc. will receive
$2,500 to conduct audits through
communities surrounding Manhattan's Canal Street corridor that will
identify possible pedestrian safety improvements. The area has
recorded 1,000 injuries over the course of a decade.
Trinity Alliance of the
Capital Region Inc. will receive $2,500 to conduct a series of walk audits in
Albany's South End neighborhood
that will address road safety and violence prevention.
Village of Rye Brook
will receive $4,975 to create a
community garden at a senior center. The space will allow volunteer
gardeners to grow fresh produce for older adults in need.
This year, AARP awarded three different grant opportunities,
including flagship grants;
capacity-building microgrants for improving
walkability, bikeability and accessible home modification; and
demonstration grants that focus on equitable
engagement to reconnect communities, housing choice design
competitions and improving digital connections to endure
disasters.
With funding support from Toyota Motor North America, the
program is increasing its investment in pedestrian safety projects
to improve streets and sidewalks, create vibrant pedestrian
infrastructure, engage community members and more. AARP is also
bolstering its investment in community resilience, rural
communities and addressing disparities.
"Whether it's helping people access high speed internet or
protecting public transit riders from rain and snow, small
community projects can have a big impact on people of all ages,"
said Nancy LeaMond, AARP Executive
Vice President and Chief Advocacy & Engagement Officer. "AARP
Community Challenge grantees make our commitment to creating better
places to live a reality through quick, innovative solutions."
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, with an emphasis on people ages 50 and
older. 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 December 15, 2024.
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.
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SOURCE AARP New York