Grants Boost Community Livability

Nine entities across the Tar Heel State received AARP Community Challenge grants in 2024 for quick-action projects to help make communities more livable.

Senior Resources of Guilford—a nonprofit that aims to enhance independence and quality of life for older adults—secured a $2,500 grant to help pay for a walk audit in the city of High Point, southwest of Greensboro.

Bob Gerken, the group’s aging-in-place coordinator, says the audit will help identify pedestrian safety issues in a disadvantaged neighborhood of High Point. He says about 30 percent of the neighborhood’s residents do not have access to a vehicle.

Gerken hopes the audit will spark changes that improve walkability in the community. He notes, for example, that there’s a “wonderful little neighborhood park,” but “it’s very difficult for the people to get there safely” because of uneven concrete and other issues.

Among other grantees in the state this year:

• Jones County Community Hope was awarded $11,000 to help Trenton residents gain digital literacy skills and access to technology.
• The city of Salisbury received $2,023 to expand bike parking at Rowan Helping Ministries, which serves individuals experiencing homelessness.
• The city of Hendersonville received $15,000 to add new bike racks, bike repair stations and shared-lane markings throughout downtown.