AARP Community Challenge Announces Six NYS Grant Recipients

 

AARP Community Challenge Announces Six NYS Grant Recipients 

 

  Bronx, Binghamton, Castleton-on-Hudson, Delmar, Dryden, Freeport Win Funding for Projects to Improve Livability for All Ages

 

NEW YORK, N.Y. - AARP has announced the awardees for its 2018 AARP Community Challenge grant program, including six recipients in New York from Long Island to the Finger Lakes.

 

A total of $1.3 million will be distributed to fund 129 “quick action” projects across the country, helping communities make immediate improvements and jumpstart long-term progress to support residents of all ages.

 

Nearly 1,600 applications were received from non-profits and government entities for the program, now in its second year. Each of the projects, which must be completed by November 5, is designed to achieve on one or more of the following outcomes:

 

• Deliver a range of transportation and mobility options that increase connectivity, walkability, bikeability, and/or access to public and private transit.
• Create vibrant public places that improve open spaces, parks and access to other amenities.
• Support the availability of a range of housing that increases accessible and affordable housing options.
• Address other issues of importance for communities.

 

Here in New York, grantees include:

 

• Bronx: BronxWorksThis grant will create gardening space for local schoolchildren and users of a local senior center at the Morris Avenue Community Garden by installing new plant beds and benches.
• Binghamton: Center for Technology & InnovationThis project will enliven the Chenango River Trail by installing a 48-foot mural that depicts a topographical map of Central New York.
• Castleton-on-Hudson: Village of Castleton-on-HudsonThis grant will install an outdoor bulletin board and benches in an underutilized and historic lot, enhancing public space by encouraging community gatherings.
• Delmar: Mohawk Hudson Land ConservancyThis grant will install works of art along the Helderberg-Hudson Rail Trail, further encouraging community members of all ages to walk between installations, enjoy nature, appreciate art and increase physical activity.

• Dryden: Town of DrydenGrant funds will finance comfortable benches and information kiosks along a public trail to encourage outdoor exercise for residents of all ages.

• Freeport: Long Island Arts Council at FreeportThis grant will enable the creation of a vibrant, site-specific community mural.

 

“Making our communities more livable for residents of all ages happens one step at a time, and we are pleased to award these grants for projects that will continue AARP’s nationwide effort to ensure our neighborhoods better serve our aging population,” said AARP New York State Director Beth Finkel.

 

The full list of grantees can be found at www.aarp.org/communitychallenge.

 

“AARP has teams on the ground in communities across the country who hear from mayors, community leaders and local residents about the value of getting quick wins to create long-term change. We developed the Community Challenge Grant Program to answer that call and help build momentum for more livable communities nationwide,” said Nancy LeaMond, AARP Executive Vice President, Community, State and National Affairs. “This year, we are proud to fund more projects in more communities in all 50 states, Washington, D.C. and Puerto Rico.”

 

The Community Challenge grant program is part of AARP’s nationwide Livable Communities initiative that helps communities become great places to live for residents of all ages. AARP staff and volunteers are working with roughly 300 communities across the country, engaging and mobilizing community residents, delivering technical assistance and expertise to local leaders and organizations, and supporting the work of the 275 communities and two states that have enrolled in the AARP Network of Age Friendly States and Communities.  AARP also provides resources and publications to encourage local action such as the Roadmap to Livability and the AARP book-series Where We Live: Communities for All Ages.

 

To learn more about AARP’s livable communities work in communities across the country and the AARP Community Challenge please visit www.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 nearly 38 million members and offices in every state, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands, AARP works to strengthen communities and advocate for what matters most to families with a focus on 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 world’s largest circulation publications, AARP The Magazine and AARP Bulletin. To learn more, visit www.aarp.org or follow @AARP and @AARPadvocates on social media.