AARP Awards Six Louisiana Organizations with Community Grants as Part of its Successful Nationwide Program 

Communities across Louisiana are all working to become more livable for residents of all ages.

And, AARP is working across Louisiana 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 Louisiana is incredibly proud to have six 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 in Louisiana, these exciting and diverse projects were funded:

• Sankofa Community Development Center: $15,000 to fund space for older residents to teach children how to fish.
  
• Arts Council of Greater Baton Rouge: $10,000 to sponsor art workshops for older adults.
  
• Abbeville Main Street: $7,000 to fund the park’s new walking trail and 8 fitness stations that will offer healthy recreational opportunities to people of all ages.
  
• The Acosta Foundation: $8,000 to commission a Main Street mural in Ville Platte commemorating the Tee Cotton Bowl.
  
• The Town of Erath: $9,000 to help promote bike activity to the park and install bike racks throughout the community.
  
• Downtown Development District: $25,000 to add high-visibility crosswalks in downtown Baton Rouge

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 Louisiana 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 [STATE]’s livable communities work at aarp.org/livable.