Two Milwaukee projects to receive AARP Community Challenge grants

MILWAUKEE, WI – Today AARP Wisconsin announced that two Milwaukee organizations have been selected to receive a 2022 AARP Community Challenge grant. These are two of five grantees chosen from grant applications submitted from all over Wisconsin.

One grant will go to the City of Milwaukee Neighborhood Improvement Development Corporation’s Healing Spaces Initiative (HSI), which will receive $25,000 to repurpose vacant lots into vibrant public spaces for rest, relaxation and community gatherings for activities such as yoga sessions or health workshops.

The spaces will be used by those age 50-plus and others in support of ecological, economic, and public health benefits. They will be designed to create a sense of comfort for everyone and will include amenities such as perennial herb gardens, benches and signposting for guided meditation.

The other grant will go to Milwaukee Turners, Inc., which will receive $15,000 to fund a series of offerings that will encourage community engagement, physical movement and healthy eating habits for older adults.

Participants will have the opportunity to go on walking tours in three diverse Milwaukee neighborhoods, culminating in cooking demonstrations for healthy simple meals, using ingredients found in the neighborhood, with the goal of encouraging healthy movement and eating habits. They will also receive a one-year membership to the Milwaukee Turners, which includes use of its gym facilities, to encourage physical activity all year round.

The two projects are part of the largest group of grantees to date, with $3.4 million awarded among 260 organizations nationwide. Grantees will implement quick-action projects that help communities become more livable in the long-term by improving public places; transportation; housing; diversity, equity and inclusion; digital access; and civic engagement, with an emphasis on the needs of adults age 50 and over.

“We are incredibly excited to support these two Milwaukee projects as they work to make immediate improvements, encourage promising ideas and jumpstart long-term change in the city,” said AARP Wisconsin State Director Martha Cranley. “Our goal at AARP Wisconsin is to support the efforts of our communities to be great places for people of all backgrounds, ages and Abilities.”

Milwaukee Mayor Cavalier Johnson thanked AARP Wisconsin for its “thoughtful investment” in the city, saying, “I often say the best way to improve a community is through cooperative efforts that engage people willing to step up. That’s what these grants are doing.”

Other grant winners in Wisconsin include:

La Crosse Public Library – Will receive a $10,000 grant for its Tool Library Project, which will give patrons the opportunity to check out home improvement and gardening tools. The Tool Library will also provide educational opportunities and a space to share and grow community knowledge. The project was proposed to enable community members to start making their own repairs in the wake of rising home prices.

McIntosh Memorial Library – Will receive a $10,000 grant to install a bird aviary at the library in Viroqua. The reading and gathering area inside the library will be redesigned to make the aviary the centerpiece of the space. Bird-watching stimulates cognitive alertness and awareness of details.

Friends of the North Pikes Creek Wetlands – Will receive a $2,300 grant to install a bike parking facility at Beaver Hollow, a popular community nature area, to accommodate and encourage bicycles as a healthy transportation option to access this outdoor recreation area frequented by older adults in the Bayfield area.

The full list of grantees can be found at www.aarp.org/communitychallenge.

All projects are expected to be completed by Nov. 30, 2022, and are designed to achieve one or more of the following outcomes:

• Create vibrant public places by improving open spaces and parks and activating main streets.
• Deliver a range of transportation and mobility options by increasing connectivity, walkability, bikeability, wayfinding, and access a wider range of transportation choices.
• Encourage the availability of a range of housing by increasing accessible and affordable housing solutions.
• Ensure a focus on diversity and inclusion while improving the built and social environment of a community.
• Support communities’ efforts to build engagement and leverage funding available under new federal programs through laws including the American Rescue Plan Act, the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, and more.
• Increase Civic Engagement with innovative and tangible projects that bring residents and local leaders together to address challenges and facilitate a greater sense of inclusion.
• Other community improvements, including Health Services, Community Development, and Coronavirus Pandemic Recovery.

The Community Challenge 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.

View the full list of grantees and their project descriptions at www.aarp.org/communitychallenge and learn more about AARP’s livable communities work at www.aarp.org/livable.

NOTE: This press release was submitted to Urban Milwaukee and was not written by an Urban Milwaukee writer. It has not been verified for its accuracy or completeness.