AARP Awards 2023 Community Challenge Grants to Six Nebraska Organizations

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

AARP is working in partnership with local leaders, organizations and dedicated residents to help make that vision a reality. As part of that effort, AARP is excited to announce the largest investment of grant dollars to date through the Community Challenge grant program. More than $3.6 million in quick-action grants are being distributed to 310 organizations across all 50 states, Washington D.C, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands.

The AARP Community Challenge funds innovative projects that inspire change in areas such as public places; housing; transportation; diversity, equity, and inclusion; digital connections; community resilience; and more.

This year, AARP is also bolstering its investment in rural communities, mobility innovation, transportation options, and health and food access. The program accepted applications across three different grant opportunities, including existing flagship grants in addition to new capacity-building microgrants for improving walkability and community gardens. New demonstration grants will focus on improving transportation systems, with funding support provided by Toyota Motor North America, and housing choice design competitions.

AARP Nebraska 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. As local leaders seek to better their communities for the future, this becomes even more critical.

Here in Nebraska these exciting and diverse projects were funded:

• City of Fairbury, $6,000, for upgrades to a community center including an indoor walking track, internet connectivity and wireless devices.
  
• Seven Valleys Senior Center in Callaway, $2,933, for wireless service and a desktop computer and projector to support digital inclusion at the senior center.
  
• City of Chappell, $10,000, for upgrades to the Chappell Lake recreation area including improvements to restrooms, picnic shelters and the parking lot.
  
• City of Omaha Planning Department, $30,000, for an Accessory Dwelling Unit (ADU) how-to guidebook, webpage and outreach in support of new ADU zoning codes.
  
• Fremont Area Habitat for Humanity, $2,500, to expand the infrastructure of a community garden to further enclose the plot, construct raised beds and walkways and improve landscaping.
  
• Civic Nebraska in Lincoln, $2,500, to conduct three walk audits along a busy residential street to identify potential locations for traffic calming tools to improve walkability. This project will benefit the multigenerational families, immigrants, renters and low-income residents who live there.
  
  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 Nebraska 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 Nebraska’s livable communities work at aarp.org/livable.