AARP Awards Grants to Five Organizations in Minnesota as Part of Nationwide Program to Make Communities More Livable

St. Paul, MN—Today, AARP announced five organizations throughout Minnesota 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 that help communities become more livable by improving public places; transportation; housing; digital connections; and more, with an emphasis on the needs of adults ages 50 and older.

“AARP Minnesota is committed to working with local leaders, advocates and policymakers to make our communities better places to live for Minnesotans of all ages, especially those 50 and older,” said Cathy McLeer, AARP MN State Director. “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.”

These projects will make immediate improvements, encourage promising ideas and jumpstart long-term change. In total, $69,825 will be distributed across five different projects across the state. Here in Minnesota, projects funded include:

• City of West St. Paul (West St. Paul) for $20,000 - The city will host a series of intergenerational events meant to revive an underused public park. The events, including a movie in the park, community meal and crosswalk painting, will inform future park system improvements.
• Asian American Business Resilience Network (Saint Paul) for $20,000 - This project will create a virtual reality production depicting life in the Rondo neighborhood before, during and after a 1960s Interstate highway project split the community in two. Organizers will ask older residents to contribute their stories.
• Woodbury Thrives (Woodbury) for $6,600 - This project will make improvements to a community garden, allowing older adults and people with disabilities to use the space. Enhancements will include ADA-compliant raised beds, signage and new gardening tools.
• ConnectAbility of MN (Waite Park) for $11,450 - This project will repair a trailer used to transport donated wheelchairs, walkers, shower chairs and other assistive devices. In addition, the organization will create a model raised garden, which will be accessible for gardeners using wheelchairs or walkers.
• Koochiching County (International Falls) for $11,775 - The county will engage high school students to teach digital skills to older adult residents and veterans. A local business will provide low-cost, used laptops loaded with software, which participants can keep after the training.

This year, AARP awarded three different grant opportunities, including flagship grants, capacity-building microgrants for improving walkability, bikeability and accessible home modifications, 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 that will improve streets and sidewalks, create vibrant pedestrian infrastructure, engage community members and much 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. Since 2017, AARP Minnesota has awarded 39 grants and $492,589 through the program to nonprofit organizations and government entities across the state.

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.

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For further information: Carla Zbacnik, czbacnik@aarp.org, 651-202-6009