Nine Montana Communities Receive 2022 Community Challenge Grants

AARP Montana Awards Grants to Nine Montana Organizations as Part of its Nationwide Program to Make Great Communities Even Better

AARP Montana announced nine organizations throughout the state that 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 even more livable in the long-term by improving public places; transportation; housing; digital access; and civic engagement, with an emphasis on the needs of adults age 50 and over.

“AARP Montana is thrilled to grant these funds to help already great communities across Montana become even better places for people of all ages to live and thrive.” said AARP Montana State Director, Tim Summers. “Over the past five years we have funded 36 different Montana projects and we have worked with grantees on a wide range of ideas from creating safer streets, improving public transportation, trails and parks to creating community gardens and enlivening neighborhoods with murals, benches, lighting, planter boxes and bike racks.”

Here in Montana, nine projects were funded for a total of $83,752. Those projects include:

Projects funded by AARP’s national Livable Communities team $62,308:

• $7,000 – The Confederated Salish Kootenai Tribes was awarded a grant to create a Community Garden.  The garden will include a greenhouse as well as adjacent garden space that is already fenced.  Produce from the garden will be provided to congregate meal programs at six senior centers on the reservation. 
• $23,758 -- City of Cut Bank was awarded a grant to develop an unused dog park into an attractive, healthy community gathering place installing trees, shade structures, and benches.
• $8,500 -- Virginia City’s Friends of Thompson Hickman, Madison County Library was awarded a grant to create a roadmap and pilot project to guide handicap access improvements throughout historic Virginia City.
• $23,050 -- Cultivating Connections Montana in Hamilton was awarded a grant to create the “Veggie Brigade” a new inter-generational project to aid Ravalli County seniors who want help with gardening and are willing to grow food to donate back to the community.  Youth Farm interns will be paired with seniors in the community who are willing to host weekly garden visits to their own yards growing “more salads for seniors”.

Projects funded by AARP Montana State Office $21,444:

• $4,444 – The Pony Homecoming Club was awarded a grant to add an irrigation system to Pony Park where community members, gather, socialize and celebrate.  Pony residents are overwhelmingly 50+ and a park irrigation system will also decrease water usage and help reduce fire danger.
• $5,000 – Helena Rotary Club was awarded a grant to create a community-inspired outdoor mural in Helena’s historic 6^th Ward.
• $2,000 – Malta Senior Center was awarded a grant for maintenance of the Senior Center including a new screen door, window screens, and rain gutter and roof repairs.
• $5,000 – Exploration Works in Helena was awarded a grant for to provide 50 Grandparent Memberships for low to moderate income grandparents raising grandchildren.
• $5,000 – City of East Helena was awarded a grant to purchase and install three new concrete picnic tables in the city park.

AARP Community Challenge grant projects are 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 Montana has awarded 34 Community Challenge grants totaling $317,780 to nonprofit organizations and government entities across the state.

View the full list of national grantees and their project descriptions at aarp.org/communitychallenge and learn more about AARP’s livable communities work at aarp.org/livable.