Four Washington communities receive Community Challenge grants

A big thank you to all our volunteers who worked so diligently to review more than 70 Community Challenge grant applications from organizations across Washington State. It is a daunting task since so many groups are working to create communities for all ages.

We are happy to announce the four communities across Washington are getting a boost in their work to become more livable for residents of all ages.

Thank you again for all your work on the 2024 AARP Community Challenge!

Each year, AARP works 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 AARP Community Challenge grant program. More than $3.8 million in quick-action grants are being distributed to 343 projects 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, and more. In 2024, AARP is bolstering its investment in digital connectivity, community resilience, and rural communities and addressing disparities.

AARP Washington is incredibly proud to have four projects granted 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 Washington, the following projects were funded:

• Prison Scholar Fund will provide formerly incarcerated older adults with digital and financial literacy training, employment services and food assistance to foster livable communities and prevent recidivism.

• Casa Latina will provide digital literacy classes to Latino immigrant workers. This will give lower-income residents access to computers and improve their technology skills, allowing them to access job opportunities.

• Fairfield Community Church will use the grant funds to work on electrical upgrades to lay the foundation for other projects that will help them better meet the community's needs.

• Toledo Community Library will replace its building's roof, preserving an important community space in Toledo's downtown, which is recovering following a series of devastating fires.

The Community Challenge grant program 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 Washington as well as across the nation, visit aarp.org/CommunityChallenge.

You can also view the AARP Livable Communities Map – a free, interactive tool with information on the more than 1,700 AARP Community Challenge grantees and more than 800 members in the Network of Age-Friendly States and Communities.