AARP Awards $15K to the UG as Part of Nationwide Program
Published on June 26, 2024
Joint Release: Unified Government & AARP Kansas
Release Date: June 26, 2024
Kansas City, KS — Today, AARP announced that the Unified Government of Wyandotte County and Kansas City, KS (UG) has received a 2024 Community Challenge grant as part of the largest group of grantees to date with $3.8 million awarded among 343 organizations nationwide.
The awarded funds of $15,000 will be used to place benches at key public spaces across Kansas City, Kansas (KCK).
“AARP Kansas is committed to working with local leaders, advocates, and policymakers to make our communities better places to live for Kansans of all ages, especially those 50 and older,” said AARP Kansas State Director, Glenda DuBoise. “We are proud to collaborate with this year’s grantees as they make immediate improvements to address long-standing and emerging challenges across our communities.”
The intention of this grant program is to make communities more livable for all people, with a particular focus on those aged 50 years and older through an implementation project that can be quickly implemented.
“The AARP Community Challenge grant was a perfect opportunity to further implement Community for All Ages (CFAA) into the KCK community,” said UG Planning + Urban Design Long Range Planner, Alyssa Marcy. “As the UG moves towards our silver-level recognition through the regional CFAA program, this AARP grant award will allow us to provide public benches across the community that can be utilized by residents and visitors of all ages and abilities. It may seem like a small thing, but many of our public spaces – parks, bus stops, social service locations – do not have places for people to sit. With this grant award, the UG can continue to address this dearth and move a step closer towards becoming an accessible, equitable community.”
This year, AARP awarded three different grant opportunities, including flagship grants, capacity-building microgrants for improving walkability, bikeability, and accessible home modifications, and demonstration grants that focus on equitable engagement to reconnect communities, housing choice design competitions and improving digital connections to endure disasters.
With funding support from Toyota Motor North America, the program is increasing its investment in pedestrian safety projects that will improve streets and sidewalks, create vibrant pedestrian infrastructure, engage community members and much more. AARP is also bolstering its investment in community resilience, rural communities, and addressing disparities.
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. Since 2017, AARP has invested $354,761 through 30 grants to nonprofit organizations and government entities across Kansas.
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 December 15, 2024.
View the full list of grantees and their project descriptions at aarp.org/communitychallenge and learn more about AARP’s livable communities work at aarp.org/livable.
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About AARP
AARP is the nation's largest nonprofit, nonpartisan organization dedicated to empowering people 50 and older to choose how they live as they age. With a nationwide presence, AARP strengthens communities and advocates for what matters most to the more than 100 million Americans 50-plus and their families: health security, financial stability and personal fulfillment. AARP also produces the nation's largest circulation publications: AARP The Magazine and AARP Bulletin. To learn more, visit www.aarp.org/about-aarp/, www.aarp.org/español or follow @AARP, @AARPenEspañol and @AARPadvocates on social media.
About the Unified Government
The Unified Government of Wyandotte County and Kansas City, Kansas, was formed by a public ballot initiative in 1997. Representing the fourth most populous county in the state of Kansas, the Unified Government provides city and county services to nearly 165,000 residents across 156 square miles. For more information, visitwycokck.org.