AARP Florida awards community grants to eight organizations

Communities across Florida are all working to become more livable for residents of all ages. And, AARP is working the Sunshine State in partnership with local leaders, organization and dedicated residents to help make that vision a reality. As part of that effort, AARP is excited to announce the largest number of projects to-date through the Community Challenge program. These quick-action grants are being distributed to 244 organizations across all 50 states, Washington D.C, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands.

The Community Challenge funds innovative projects that inspire change in areas such as transportation, public spaces, housing, diversity and inclusion, civic engagement, coronavirus response and more.

AARP Florida is incredibly proud to have eight grantees right here in our state. Our goal is to support their efforts to create great places for people of all backgrounds, ages and abilities and as local leaders seek to better their communities for the future, this is even more critical.

Here are the exciting and diverse projects were funded:

• Bike Pensacola. The Gonzalez St. Shareway Project is a one-day test of a shared corridor that will help to connect people and neighborhoods across Pensacola by demonstrating a safe roadway where residents can walk, run, bike, and visit neighbors.
• City of Deerfield Beach & Broward Metropolitan Planning Organization. To increase the mobility, accessibility, and safety of the roadway in a predominantly residential area, a “quick-build” project will temporarily install intersection improvements, wayfinding and informational signage, traffic calming features and crosswalks with decorative surface treatments.
• City of Miami. The creation of “Historical Storytelling Fitness Paths” in selected area parks will include signage to promote healthy behaviors using the tradition of storytelling to show the history of the city’s diverse communities through the eyes of older Miamians.
• City of Orlando. To bring internet access & social connection to underserved neighborhoods with limited internet access, this project will install solar charging tables and shade structures with wireless hotspots painted by local artists.
• Florida Dream Center (Pinellas County). This program will help older residents with home repairs or modifications such as grab bars, chair lifts, wheelchair ramps, door widening, handrails, toilet seat lifts, etc.
• IDEAS For Us (City of Casselberry). The Hindu Temple of Central Florida will receive an educational community garden that will allow residents and visitors alike the opportunity to contribute to and observe habitat restoration of pollinator populations.
• Miami Beach Gay Pride, Inc. This project will install a museum exhibition featuring large-scale portraits and audio-stories that will bring to life 400+ years of love through stories told by same-sex couples to positively enforce that love always wins. 
• Opa-locka Community Development Corporation. To improve access to free, healthy food for low-income residents, fruit-bearing trees and other park amenities will be installed in the common area of a multi-family residential development.

The Community Challenge is part of AARP’s nationwide work on livable communities, which supports the efforts of neighborhoods, towns, cities and counties across the country to become great places for all residents. We believe that communities should provide safe, walkable streets; affordable and accessible housing and transportation options; access to needed services; and opportunities for residents to participate in community life.

To learn more about the work being funded by the AARP Community Challenge both here in Florida as well as across the nation, visit aarp.org/CommunityChallenge. You can also view an interactive map of all of the Community Challenge projects and AARP Florida’s livable communities work at aarp.org/livable.