AARP New York announces Community Challenge Grantees 2024

AARP investing $571,588 in New York communities as part of nationwide grant program 

10 communities across New York are getting a boost in their work to become more livable for residents of all ages

Each year, AARP works in partnership with local leaders, organizations, and dedicated residents to help make that vision a reality. As part of that effort, AARP is excited to announce the largest investment of grant dollars to date through the AARP Community Challenge grant program. More than $3.8 million in quick-action grants are being distributed to 343 projects across all 50 states, Washington D.C., Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands.

The AARP Community Challenge funds innovative projects that inspire change in areas such as public places; housing; transportation; and more. In 2024, AARP is bolstering its investment in digital connectivity, community resilience, rural communities, and addressing disparities. With additional funding support provided by Toyota Motor North America, the program is also increasing its investment in pedestrian safety projects that will improve streets and sidewalks, create vibrant pedestrian infrastructure, engage community members and much more.

AARP New York is incredibly proud to have 10 projects granted right here in our state. Our goal is to support their efforts to create great places for people of all backgrounds, ages and abilities. As local leaders seek to better their communities for the future, this becomes even more critical.

The program is funding projects across three different grant opportunities, including flagship grants, capacity-building microgrants, and demonstration grants. Here in New York, these exciting projects were funded:

• 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 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.

The Community Challenge grant program 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 New York as well as across the nation, visit aarp.org/CommunityChallenge. You can also view the AARP Livable Communities Map – a free, interactive tool with information on the more than 1,700 AARP Community Challenge grantees and more than 800 members in the Network of Age-Friendly States and Communities.