Small Grants Give Big Boost to California Communities

Until this spring, Judy Goddess was an active, independent 88-year-old who had no problem hopping on the San Francisco light rail or navigating her community on foot. But in April, as she headed down the steps of a Muni Metro station, she tripped and fell.

“Somehow I stopped myself from falling too far, but I fell far enough that there was a lot of bleeding,” recalls Goddess, a writer and founder of a small theater organization. She had a “big egg” in the middle of her forehead, bruises under her eyes, and a 7-inch gash along her leg.

But there was an even deeper impact: a loss of confidence and newfound trepidation. “I was traumatized,” Goddess recalls. “I’m feeling more vulnerable.”

The nonprofit Community Living Campaign, where Goddess volunteers, wants to help older people avoid such incidents and feel comfortable venturing out — with less risk of falls and other mishaps.

The San Francisco group, which works to reduce isolation and build community among older adults, recently received a 2025 AARP Community Challenge grant of $20,000 to expand its Accessible Community Teams. That initiative encourages residents to audit their neighborhoods and report safety and accessibility problems via the city’s non-emergency 311 service and other channels. They will be trained to flag impediments like obstructed sidewalks, poor lighting, too-brief crosswalk signals and narrow entryways.

Patti Spaniak Davidson, the campaign’s community engagement director, says recovering from bad falls can be very difficult for older adults. “It can be the downward spiral of anyone’s life,” she says. “That’s why we’re so adamant about safety.”

The AARP Community Challenge grant program funds quick-action projects aimed at making communities more livable by improving public spaces, housing and transportation, among other goals. Nationally, AARP awarded $4.2 million in grants for 383 projects in 2025.

In California, 12 organizations or localities received grants this year, for a total of $126,300. The grants will fund everything from upgrades to a Sacramento community garden to workshops for low-to-moderate-income Los Angeles homeowners on how to develop rental units.

The grants aim to fund “innovative projects that can inspire ... long-term positive change” and help people age in place, says Michael Murray, AARP California’s state director.

A FOCUS ON MOBILITY

Davidson, of the Community Living Campaign, says the goal of the accessibility teams will be to improve outdoor mobility for all residents. That, in turn, can encourage socializing, which is essential to overall well-being. “If we’re all out there looking and watching and reporting, our neighborhoods and communities will be safer,” she says.

Other California groups also received grants to improve livability. Among them:

• Bike San Diego received $2,500 to identify bike and pedestrian safety improvements needed along Fairmount Avenue. The aim is to create a safer, more accessible corridor to promote exercise and independence for older adults.
• Los Angeles Walks was awarded $17,500 for two projects in South Los Angeles. One AARP grant, supported with funding from Toyota Motor North America Inc., will help educate the public about a new California pedestrian-safety law, which bars parking within 20 feet of crosswalks. The other will involve walk audits to identify access barriers and advocate for improvements.
• ACC Senior Services in Sacramento received $11,500 to expand a community garden and install benches and a gazebo, among other improvements. Dani Lee, ACC’s home- and community-based program manager, says it’s more than just a garden. “We’re looking to create a social engagement area in a calm and inviting place for people to gather and get education and socialize,” she says. ■

Rita Beamish, based in California, is a former Associated Press reporter and San Francisco Chronicle editor. She has written for the Bulletin for 15 years.

MORE ON LIVABILITY

• Explore the AARP Livability Index
• Learn About the AARP Network of Age-Friendly States and Communities
• Download a Free AARP Walk Audit Toolkit