AARP Tennessee Awards Four Community Challenge Grants

Communities across Tennessee 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 Tennessee is incredibly proud to have four grantees right here in our state, whose grants totaled $56,500 of investment in Chattanooga, Robertson County and Memphis. 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 Tennessee these exciting and diverse projects were funded:

• East Lake Language Arts Library (Chattanooga): The project will turn an unused space into a community garden with raised beds to accommodate older gardeners, as well as allow for monthly gardening events there.
• Lighthouse Network Services (Chattanooga): The project will support student caregivers and their families to grow their own food and access healthier food options.
• Robertson County Schools (Robertson County): The project will support a "Reading Across Robertson" bus that will provide older residents and school students with access to library books and intergenerational activities.
• TennGreen Land Conservancy (Memphis): This project will improve a trail segment in Big River Park and add a gathering circle with repurposed stone block benches. All improvements will be ADA-compliant.

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 [STATE] 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 [STATE]’s livable communities work at aarp.org/livable.