AARP Awards Community Grants To Two Mississippi Organizations In Record-Breaking Year For Nationwide Program

Communities across Mississippi are working each and every day to become more livable for residents of all ages.

In support of that work, AARP is excited to announce the largest number of grantees and funds to-date through the Community Challenge grant program. These “quick action” grants are being distributed to 184 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, smart cities, civic engagement, coronavirus response and more.

AARP Mississippi is incredibly proud to have two 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 the coronavirus pandemic has only underscored the importance of this work.

Here in Mississippi, these exciting and diverse projects were funded:

Mississippi Faith-Based Coalition

Mississippi Faith-Based Coalition in Jackson will use a $20,000 grant to turn overgrown vacant neighborhood lots into community gardens; provide benches and public art; and spruce up homes by providing residents with paint and pressure washing services to restore the beauty of their older homes.

Pilgrim Rest Baptist Church

Pilgrim Rest Baptist Church in Greenville will use a $6,000 grant to place fencing and hoop houses in a community garden that will supply fresh produce to low and moderate-income families. The supplies will allow produce to be grown year-round.

AARP Mississippi State Director Kimberly L. Campbell, Esq.. “Our goal at AARP Mississippi is to support the efforts of our communities to be great places for people of all backgrounds, ages and abilities and the coronavirus pandemic has only underscored the importance of this work.”

“We are incredibly proud to partner with Mississippi’s grantees as they work to make immediate improvements in their communities, encourage promising ideas and jumpstart long-term change,” said

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 Mississippi 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 Mississippi’s livable communities work at aarp.org/livable.