Four Iowa Organizations Awarded 2022 Community Challenge Grants

We’re excited to announce that four organizations throughout Iowa will receive a combined $86,775 in 2022 Community Challenge grants – part of the largest group of grantees to date with $3.4 million awarded among 260 organizations nationwide. Grantees in Iowa and across the country will implement quick-action projects that help communities become more livable, with an emphasis on the needs of adults age 50 and over.

The Community Challenge funds innovative projects that inspire change in areas such as transportation; public spaces; housing; diversity, equity, and inclusion; civic engagement; and more. This year, with additional funding support from Toyota Motor North America, the program is also increasing its investment in projects that improve mobility innovation and transportation options.

Iowa’s four 2022 grantees are listed below:

• Tama/Toledo Healthy Hometown Committee – This grant will support the installation of crosswalks and additional sidewalk sections at a key intersection connecting Tama and Toledo, enhancing pedestrian/biker safety and improving access to vital services and recreation opportunities in the area. 

• Heart of Iowa Regional Transit Agency (Perry) – ADA-compliant benches will be installed at city bus stops in Perry, along with improved signage (including bilingual signs at designated stops) and a deviated flex bus route. Free rides will be available for community members who need transportation assistance to healthcare and other essential services.

• Aging Resources of Central Iowa – This Ride Share transportation program allows older adults who cannot drive and who do not have access to a smart phone to order free rides through a telephone call center, increasing independence and reducing isolation.

• City of Greeley – Decorative light poles will be installed along State Highway 38 as part of Greeley’s larger vision to create a vibrant downtown corridor area for residents and visitors to gather and enjoy.

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.