AARP Awards Grants to four Missouri Organizations

Kansas City, Missouri—Today, AARP Missouri announced four organizations throughout the state will receive 2022 Community Challenge grants – part of the largest group of grantees to date with $3.4 million awarded among 260 organizations nationwide. Grantees will implement quick-action projects that help communities become more livable in the long-term by improving public places; transportation; housing; diversity, equity and inclusion; digital access; and civic engagement, with an emphasis on the needs of adults age 50 and over.

“AARP Missouri is committed to working with communities to improve residents’ quality of life through tangible changes,” State Director Craig Eichelman, said. “We are proud to collaborate with this year’s grantees as they make immediate improvements in their communities to jumpstart long-term change, especially for Missourians 50 and over.”  

Here in Missouri, projects funded include:

• Upgrades, namely an ADA compliant ramp, for the Frisco Trail in Webb City (Joplin Trails Coalition, grantee)
• A Transit Stop Transformation featuring public art and more in St. Louis County (Citizens for Modern Transit, grantee)
• Enhancements at a St. Louis community garden featuring comfortable benches, African sculptures, a water fountain and more (The Bustani Ya Upenda Peace & Zen project, Good Journey Development Foundation, grantee)
• New crosswalks that better link two St. Louis neighborhoods and improving safety (East Loop Community Improvement District, grantee)

AARP Community Challenge grant projects will be funded in all 50 states, Washington, D.C., Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands. True to the program’s quick-action nature, projects must be completed by November 30, 2022.

This year, AARP is bolstering its investment of affordable and adaptable housing solutions in response to the national housing crisis. With additional funding support from Toyota Motor North America, the program is also increasing its support of projects that improve mobility innovation and transportation options.

The grant program is part of AARP’s nationwide Livable Communities initiative, which supports the efforts of cities, towns, neighborhoods and rural areas to become great places to live for people of all ages. Since 2017, AARP Missouri has awarded 17 grants and $202,650 through the program to nonprofit organizations and government entities across the state.

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.