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In her small county in west-central Georgia, Patricia Holloman wants people to be ready the next time a tornado comes calling.
It was what motivated her to apply for an AARP Community Challenge grant earlier this year — an application that was submitted before a May twister hit Talbot County.
“It happened overnight,” Holloman says of this latest tornado. “That was the worst part.”
Holloman is director of the Crown of Life Foundation, which is one of nine entities in the state to receive a 2025 AARP Community Challenge grant. The Box Springs-based nonprofit received a $2,500 grant to conduct disaster-preparedness workshops in the county. Statewide, the nine grants range from $2,000 to $25,000 and total nearly $110,000.
PROJECTS BENEFIT ALL AGES
Nationwide, AARP this year awarded $4.2 million in grants for 383 projects designed to improve housing, transportation, public spaces and other amenities that benefit residents of all ages. The funded projects must be completed by December.
“AARP Community Challenge projects may be quick to launch, but their impact is long-lasting,” said Nancy A. LeaMond, AARP executive vice president and chief advocacy and engagement officer. LeaMond added that AARP was “particularly proud to invest in projects” that benefit often overlooked rural areas.
The disaster-preparedness award for Crown of Life is helping the organization conduct three workshops for residents age 50 and over. The workshops provide preparedness kits, training and resources for participants. Kits and resources will also be distributed throughout the county, which is northeast of Columbus.
Holloman says the workshops aim to bring in relief organizations, government entities and other emergency responder groups to talk about community-wide emergency planning.
The area served by Crown of Life is rural without a lot of emergency or medical resources, making it even more critical that residents learn how to protect themselves, Holloman says.
“People need to get disaster preparedness information ahead of time,” adds Wallace White, AARP Georgia’s associate state director for advocacy and rural outreach who helped select grant recipients. “This program helps people in rural areas be proactive instead of reactive.”
NEW INFORMATION, EDUCATION
Among other Community Challenge grants are ones that will focus on home safety, internet access and digital literacy.
A $2,500 grant to Facts to Thrive, headquartered in College Park, will help fund training and information sessions across the southern part of Fulton County, demonstrating various home modifications that allow older adults to age in place.
Walker County in the northwestern part of the state will use its $15,000 grant to add a public charging and internet hotspot station at Adventure Acres — an outdoor recreational center — so that park-goers can stay connected.
In Albany, a $15,000 grant to 360 Albany will benefit residents through gardening training and other activities. One part of the grant will provide digital literacy workshops to help older adults access online services, health care portals and other critical community resources.
Other Community Challenge grants funded by AARP this year include:
- Atlanta: $17,500 to archive the oral histories of older adults from Black neighborhoods in order to educate and connect communities.
- Eastman: $25,000 to install sidewalks and crosswalks on Pearl Bates Avenue to improve pedestrian safety for students and residents.
- Macon: $15,000 to transform a vacant lot into a green space with enhanced accessibility for older adults.
- Milner: $15,000 to improve the city park by adding an ADA-compliant shaded pavilion with tables, benches and improved lighting.
- Nicholson: $2,000 to digitize photos and information about veterans, for sharing with future generations.
Learn more about grant recipients and their projects at aarp.org/communitychallenge. ■
Beth Levine is a frequent contributor to AARP The Magazine and the AARP Bulletin.
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