AARP Commits Thousands of Dollars to Strengthen Nearly 11 Communities Across New Jersey!

$110,600 in grants aims to help residents of all ages, especially older adults, improve how they live, move, and stay connected in their neighborhoods through innovative local projects

NEW BRUNSWICK, NJ - AARP announced 11 organizations throughout New Jersey will receive the 2025 Community Challenge grant. The grants are part of AARP’s $4.2 million commitment to fund 383 quick-action projects aimed at making communities more livable for people of all ages, with a focus on the needs of older adults. The funds will support efforts to improve public places, transportation, housing, digital connections, and other key areas.

Now in its ninth year, the Challenge has awarded $586,936 through 47 grants in New Jersey since 2017 to nonprofit organizations and local government entities across the state. Grant projects will be funded in all 50 states, Washington, D.C., Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands.

Here in New Jersey, projects funded include:

• Borough of Leonia: The Borough’s project will conduct three educational trainings on home safety and comfort for people of all ages, focusing on older adults and their families. Participants will gain low-cost home safety and accessibility knowledge and may be eligible for minor home modifications, such as grab bar installations. 
• Camden Community Partnership (CCP): The Golden Brush Collective will create a vibrant mural at 699 Central Avenue in Camden's Centerville neighborhood. This project aims to celebrate the area's rich cultural history and engage local residents, including older adults and individuals with disabilities, in the design process. 
• Delaware River Greenway Partnership: This project will conduct a bike audit in four sessions along a 12-mile stretch of a federal Scenic Byway heavily used by cyclists. Volunteers, including those age 50-plus, will participate. Audit results will be shared with stakeholders like municipalities, land managers, and Scenic Byway representatives, and will also be shared with the public. 
• Denville Public Library: This project will offer in-person and virtual disaster pre-planning training sessions. One session will be at the senior center, one at the library, and two virtually. Participants will receive emergency supply checklists and 72-hour survival backpack kits. Virtual sessions will be open to all libraries in the Main Library Alliance. 
• Judy Weston Garden: Weston Community Foundation (WCFI) will work with partners to conduct walk audits near Judy Weston Garden and Edgemont Park Senior Center. Volunteers will survey sidewalks, intersections, and paths to identify ways to increase safe usage. Results will be shared with local stakeholders and policymakers. 
• Little Falls Historical Society, Inc.: The Little Falls Historical Society is creating a vibrant outdoor gathering space at the Old Town Hall with age-friendly benches, flower gardens, shaded seating areas, and accessible walking paths. This project aims to benefit people age 50 and over, promoting physical and emotional health for the entire community. 
• Millville Housing Authority: The Millville Housing Authority will install a 20'x40' shade structure and raised garden beds at Riverview West, providing low-income older adults with a comfortable, accessible outdoor seating area. This project aims to promote social interaction, physical activity, and mental well-being for residents aged 50 and older. 
• New Jersey Advocates for Aging Well: NJAAW will host a design competition to promote age-friendly and affordable housing in New Jersey. The competition will focus on ADUs, single-family, and multi-family housing, judged on middle-income solutions and universal design. Winning designs will be publicized statewide to encourage development. 
• New Jersey Bike and Walk Coalition: This project will engage Newark’s 50-plus population through interactive events and storytelling sessions to gather input on trails and active transportation. It aims to promote active transportation, preserve local culture, and enhance community connections by ensuring older adults' voices are heard in the planning process. 
• South Orange, Walk Bike Ride & Meadowland Park Conservancy: Walk Bike Ride South Orange, Meadowland Park Conservancy, and South Orange Village will engage volunteers to paint artistic crosswalks, add green paint to bike lanes, and install delineators on Mead Street. This will improve safety for older adults and all visitors to the park and community center. 
• Township of Montville: This project will install a 700-foot sidewalk along Vreeland Avenue, improving pedestrian safety and access to public transportation and parks. The sidewalk will connect a development for residents over 55 years old to existing sidewalks, enhancing walkability to the Township Community Park. 

View the full list of grantees and their projects at aarp.org/communitychallenge. Learn more about AARP’s work to support livable communities at aarp.org/livable.

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About AARP
AARP is the nation's largest nonprofit, nonpartisan organization dedicated to empowering Americans 50 and older to choose how they live as they age. With a nationwide presence, AARP strengthens communities and advocates for what matters most to the more than 100 million Americans 50-plus and their families: health security, financial stability and personal fulfillment. AARP also works for individuals in the marketplace by sparking new solutions and allowing carefully chosen, high-quality products and services to carry the AARP name. As a trusted source for news and information, AARP produces the nation's largest circulation publications, AARP The Magazine and AARP Bulletin. To learn more, visit www.aarp.org/about-aarp/, www.aarp.org/español or follow @AARP, @AARPenEspañol and @AARPadvocates on social media.