AARP Oregon Awards 2024 Age-Friendly Communities Grants

AARP Oregon Awards 2024 Age-Friendly Communities Grants
Five projects aim to make local communities in Oregon more livable
September 4, 2024

PORTLAND, OR—Communities across Oregon are working to become more livable for people 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 Oregon is pleased to announce the Age-Friendly Communities Grants, with five grantees from across the state. These grants fund innovative projects that inspire change in transportation, public spaces, diversity and inclusion, civic engagement, and more. The grantees were chosen from applicants for the national AARP Community Challenge Grant and are funded by AARP Oregon. In June, seven national grantees were announced.

Across the state, these diverse projects were funded:

• DevNW, $7,700 —Community gardens will provide accessible space for residents to grow fresh produce. Residents aged 50-plus will have more opportunities for intergenerational connections, increased outdoor activity, and overall better mental and physical health.
• Port of Portland, $8,500 —The installation of TCoil hearing loops at Portland International Airport in strategic areas will benefit older adults by improving accessibility, communication, and the overall travel experience.
• Leach Botanical Garden, $1,400 —This project is intended to bring community together for music and poetry in one of Portland’s hidden gems, the Leach Botanical Garden, with an emphasis on bringing our 50-plus aged residents to the garden to bask in the lush garden’s afternoons.
• Center for Community Counseling (Eugene), $2,200 —A door to provide a private, secure, and confidential environment that encourages in-person and telehealth mental health care communication. This will overall improve the quality of life and mental health for individuals 50 and over and their families.
• Transition Projects Inc. (Portland), $10,000 —Move-in kits to support veterans and their families as they transition into permanent housing by providing all the household necessities to help make their new house feel like home.

“AARP Oregon Age-Friendly Communities Grants seek to help communities across Oregon become more livable for people of all backgrounds, abilities and ages, especially people 50-plus,” said Bandana Shrestha, AARP Oregon State Director. “Quick-action projects like these can catalyze long-lasting momentum towards making communities more age-friendly.”

AARP’s nationwide work on livable communities supports the efforts of neighborhoods, towns, cities, and counties across the country to become great places for all residents. To learn more about the work funded by the AARP Community Challenge here in Oregon and across the nation, visit aarp.org/CommunityChallenge. You can also view an interactive map of Community Challenge projects and AARP Oregon’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 and nearly 38 million members, AARP strengthens communities and advocates for what matters most to 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 about Oregon AARP, visit www.states.aarp.org/oregon/, or follow @AARPOR on Twitter and facebook.com/AARPOregon.