AARP awards grants to 6 Idaho organizations

IDAHO FALLS, Idaho (KIFI) - AARP Idaho announced six organizations throughout the state will receive 2023 Community Challenge grants – part of the largest group of grantees to date with $3.6 million awarded among 310 organizations nationwide.

Grantees will implement quick-action projects that help communities become more livable by improving public places, transportation, housing, digital connections, diversity, equity and inclusion and more with an emphasis on the needs of adults age 50 and older.

The grant program is part of AARP’s nationwide Livable Communities initiative, which supports the efforts of cities, towns, neighborhoods, and rural areas to become great places to live for people of all ages, especially those age 50 and older. Since 2017, AARP Idaho has awarded 26 grants and $280,138 through the program to nonprofit organizations and government entities across the state.

“AARP Idaho is committed to working with local leaders to improve residents’ quality of life through tangible changes,” AARP Idaho state director Lupe Wissel said. “We are proud to collaborate with this year’s grantees as they make immediate improvements in their communities to jumpstart long-term change, especially for Idahoans 50 and over.”

Idaho projects funded include:

• $25,000 – Adapted Builds in Boise
  • There are more than 210,000 caregivers in Idaho. This project will develop video content that addresses the needs of caregivers and people with disabilities to foster inclusion, improved quality of life and greater self-reliance.
  • “Our mission at Adapted Builds is essentially to innovate solutions for the disabled community, and then teach those who need these solutions how to make them for themselves. Innovation has a price of time, money and a lot of brain-wracking to develop such a solution from the ground up. Our mission is to pay that price and ensure that others never have to pay that price again by showing them exactly how we did it. With the faith that AARP has placed in us with this grant, we will be building adaptations to the living, working, and play spaces of real people in our SW Idaho community that meet ADA standards. We will also be providing instructional YouTube videos on how the average person can build each and every adaptation themself. Additionally, we will produce a YouTube video providing resources and a roadmap to enjoying the caregiver journey and avoiding pitfalls like caregiver burnout. We are extremely grateful to AARP for their generosity and belief in our mission to make sure that no one ever pays the same price twice to meet the unique needs of those they love.”
  • Brian Wood
  • Co-Founder
• $7,912 – City of Orofino
  • ADA-compliant benches will be installed to improve walkability and create opportunities for multigenerational interaction.
  • “We are excited about this opportunity to be awarded the AARP grant to add benches to our very busy walkways. Having the benches located along our beautiful river, near a bike park, the high school, and our long-term care facility will help people of all ages be reminded to sit and reflect a while on the natural beauty of our community.”
  • Ryan Smathers
  • Orofino City Administrator 
• $12,000 – Malad City
  • Pickleball is one of the fastest growing sports in the country. Malad City will use this grant to build regulation-size outdoor pickleball courts for use by residents, providing a popular form of recreation, exercise, and social interaction for people of all ages.
  • “I would like to thank AARP for considering, and granting, our request for a grant to help build pickleball courts in Malad. We are a small, close-knit community, and we love projects where we can work together for a common goal. Because our old tennis courts, which were converted into pickleball courts, were torn down to build a new elementary school (for which we are also thrilled), this became our newest project. It will be a wonderful addition to our City Park and Walking Path for people of all ages to get together and have fun.”
  • Joan Hawkins
  • Malad Mayor
• $20,000 – Prairie River Library District in Lapwai
  • Libraries serving smaller communities are essential in Idaho. Prairie River will create a covered bus stop equipped with Wi-Fi outside the local library, as well as an indoor gathering space focused on the audio, visual and mobility needs of older adults.
  • “The Lapwai Community Library is thrilled to receive the Community Challenge grant and looks forward to using the funds to improve our public space within the community, working towards creating a comfortable and safe indoor and outdoor space for all community members. This grant funding will provide the addition of a bus shelter in front of the Lapwai Community Library and both indoor and outdoor movable workstations that will create more accessibility for users of the library and our 24/7 WiFi availability.”
  • Ellamae Burnell
  • Lapwai Community Library Director
• $2,7000 United Seniors Project in Pocatello
  • United Seniors Project will hold a pop-up event to welcome community members to the future site of a new community gathering space, designed for intergenerational programming related to physical, mental, emotional and social health. Attendees will be able to see plans for the building, ask questions and give their feedback.
  • “We were excited to learn that AARP recognizes the potential benefits of the United Seniors Project goal to develop a facility for lifelong learning for seniors. We're going to use the grant proceeds for an information and fund-raising event for our project. We appreciate AARP and their local and state leadership for making this Community Grant possible.”
  • Phil Joslin
  • President, United Seniors Project Inc.
• $2,500 Winchester Community Library Garden
  • This project will turn a public patio and outdoor space at a library into a community garden, which will include garden beds and ADA-accessible benches. The library will provide programming focused on sustainability and fostering healthy, safe, and food-secure communities.
  • “The Winchester Community Library is excited to receive the Community Garden Microgrant and looking forward to the fruitful additions it will bring to community members of all ages. With this generous funding, Winchester Community Library will be adding raised planter beds and materials for the beds including soil for filling. This garden is to be maintained as a community effort, as well as bench seating creating a comfortable outdoor space. Additionally, we look forward to holding programs and classes in the outdoor spaces and sharing the bounty of our community garden.”
  • Chris Case
  • Branch manager Winchester library

AARP Community Challenge grant projects will be funded in all 50 states, Washington, D.C., Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands. True to the program’s quick-action nature, projects must be completed by November 30, 2023.

“These grants continue to lead to long-term, positive changes in communities across the country,” said Nancy LeaMond, AARP Executive Vice President and Chief Advocacy & Engagement Officer. “This year, we are proud to support the largest number of projects in the program’s seven-year history, which will improve residents’ quality of life through tangible changes so everyone can thrive as they age.”

View the full list of grantees and their project descriptions at aarp.org/communitychallenge.