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

ALBANY, N.Y., June 30, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Today, AARP New York announced six organizations throughout the state will receive 2022 Community Challenge grants ? part of the largest group of grantees to date with $3.4 million awarded among 260 organizations nationwide. Grantees will implement quick-action projects that help communities become more livable in the long-term by improving public places; transportation; housing; diversity, equity and inclusion; digital access; and civic engagement, with an emphasis on the needs of adults age 50 and over.

"AARP New York is committed to working with communities to improve residents' quality of life through tangible changes," said AARP New York 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:

• A grant of $10,000 toward the Freedom Story Project at John Brown Lives! in the Adirondacks. The project, which enlists older volunteers, collects stories of social justice service and activism ? emphasizing the stories of older adults ? to forge inspiring connections between generations.
  
  
• A grant of $15,000 for two publicly accessible, permanent tennis courts at the Chautauqua Institution in Western New York. The project will feature pickle ball to engage the community and provide an activity that's easy to pick up for older players or those with mobility concerns.
  
  
• A grant of $15,000 to the Regional Plan Association to identify, interview and film older residents on Long Island to share their stories highlighting the need for and benefits of accessory dwelling units (ADUs). The videos will be shared on social and other media to advance education on ADUs.
  
  
• A $15,240 grant for the New York City Department for the Aging to expand the Intergenerational Cultural Workshops Series to build community and foster healing from exposure to crime. The series aims to strengthen the family unit, increase community engagement and promote access and equity for 540 older adults and children living in high crime neighborhoods in the Bronx, Manhattan and Brooklyn.
  
  
• A $20,000 grant for the Downtown Schenectady Improvement Corporation to convert an abandoned downtown lot into a thriving community space filled with accessible seating, improved lighting, and public art while focusing on older residents and the disabled within the community.
  
  
• A $11,500 grant will establish Jazz Night @ Dorothy J Collier Community Center in Buffalo to enhance cultural activities, create a sense of belonging, encourage multigenerational interaction, beautify the neighborhood and provide an outlet for disenfranchised community members.

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, 2022.

This year, AARP is bolstering its investment of affordable and adaptable housing solutions in response to the national housing crisis. With additional funding support from Toyota Motor North America, the program is also increasing its support of projects that improve mobility innovation and transportation options.

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. Since 2017, AARP New York has awarded 21 grants and $286,224 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.

SOURCE AARP New York