SPOKANE, Wash. -- AARP has awarded Community Challenge grants to four projects in Washington state.

The grants go to projects that make communities more livable for people of all ages - and that can be turned around quickly.

Among the winners is the Spokane Neighborhood Action Partners, which has been helping lower-income residents and families in Spokane County since 1966. Cameryn Flynn, transportation services coordinator with SNAP, said the grant will support its transportation service.

"Neighbors on the Go is volunteer drivers taking seniors and/or persons living with disabilities to and from medical-related appointments," said Flynn.

Flynn said the organization helped about 700 people with 2,100 rides last year. Nationwide, AARP chose 184 projects and is distributing $2.4 million.

Another grant recipient is Garden-Raised Bounty or "GRuB," in Olympia. This organization has built more than 3,000 backyard gardens in the lower Puget Sound region since 1993.

Sadie Gilliom, grants coordinator with GRuB, said the AARP grant will help them build about 20 gardens for older adult communities - which is even more important this year, as the pandemic is causing some people to go hungry.

"The gardens increase food security at home and can provide hundreds of meals annually, increasing long-term resiliency and well-being," said Gilliom. "In addition, gardens allow people to connect with physically distant family and friends through learning together, sharing photos and garden recipes."

She said people can apply for a garden on GRuB's website.

Other recipients of Community Challenge grants include Seattle's International Community Health Services, to help people use telehealth services in their own languages, and the Puyallup Area Aging in Community Committee, to create an elder-friendly business program.

A $20,000 grant from AARP Kentucky will help rebuild sidewalks in Jenkins damaged by the deadly 2022 flood that took the lives of 45 residents.

Rachel Rosolina, communications director for the nonprofit Appalshop, explained because its headquarters were severely damaged by the flooding, staff has temporarily moved to neighboring Jenkins, where the grant will help improve walkability.

She noted the new walking trail and benches will begin at a local senior center and extend about a mile into downtown.

"Twenty-four percent of the county is over the age of 59 and the poverty rate is also like over 38%," Rosolina pointed out. "We want to be part of this community for as long as they will have us, but we also want to work with the city and use our resources to make improvements and make things safer."

Other 2024 Community Challenge grants awardees include Hotel Inc., a Bowling Green organization providing training on home safety and aging in place for older adults; and Casey County Public Library, to build a series of public displays and activities grandparents can do with their grandchildren.

Tiffany Sturdivant, interim executive director of Appalshop, said while the flood was devastating, it brought out the best in a close-knit community.

"Speaking as someone who was present during the recovery, it was a special time where Eastern Kentucky really shined," Sturdivant recounted. "I feel like it shined its brightest because it brought out that deep-rooted togetherness and everybody was just pitching in."

Rosolina added the mural, designed by local artist Lacy Hale, will highlight residents' perseverance.

"Art is one way to process trauma and I think the flood is going to be part of all of these communities for the rest of time," Rosolina observed. "It's part of the history now. So having something beautiful come out of that, I think, is really important."

She added the art display will be formally presented to the public during the Jenkins Homecoming Days Festival at the end of August.


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A series of free summer camps focused on STEM and other career paths seeks to boost the career goals of youth in the agricultural community of Immokalee.

Florida Gulf Coast University has teamed up with the Immokalee Foundation to offer a series of free educational camps for underserved youth in the region. The initiative includes a STEM camp for middle schoolers and four high school camps focused on business management and entrepreneurship, education and human services, engineering and construction management, and health care.

Noemi Perez, CEO of the Immokalee Foundation, explained the value of the program.

"When you take a community and individuals who are just surviving and giving their students, their children this type of opportunity, it just, it creates such a huge impact," Perez stressed. "Not only for the family, but also for the community as a whole."

In its final week, students pitch their ideas to judges, like on the popular show "Shark Tank." The competitive program serves about 1,300 Immokalee students per year. Perez said 100% of participants graduate from high school and attend a postsecondary institution.

Heather Skoza-Acosta, director of the Whitaker Center for STEM Education at Florida Gulf Coast University, oversees the middle school STEM camp. She emphasized the importance of early exposure to science.

"They have four separate STEM disciplines on four different weeks," Skoza-Acosta pointed out. "I think it gives them an opportunity to find their passion, find their skill sets, meet some professionals working in the field. "

During Forensics Week, Florida Gulf Coast University's forensics anthropology team guided students through analyzing crime scenes. During Environmental Science Week, students examined water quality on campus.

Organizers said the initiative is part of a broader effort by both the university and the foundation to support educational equity and create pathways to success for underserved communities.

Community action agencies in Utah and across the nation are celebrating 60 years of battling poverty and empowering communities, which started with the signing of the Economic Opportunity Act of 1964.

Jennifer Godfrey, CEO of Utah Community Action, said there are a total of nine community action agencies in the Beehive State, with each one aiming to help Utahns in their own unique way. She added all nine organizations have the ability to provide services that can change people's lives.

"Not only is it incredibly humbling to be a part of that work, but it is also such an honor to be working with these individuals who are experiencing poverty," Godfrey noted. "Because everybody deserves a second chance from time to time."

Godfrey pointed out people who experience poverty are not a monolith, because poverty is a complex issue and there is not a single reason behind it for many people. In Utah, Native Americans experience the highest rate of poverty at just above 27%.

Utah has been a leader when it relates to volunteerism, and Godfrey encourages Utahns to continue strengthening its standing year-round by contacting their local action agency to help.

Utah's poverty rate is just below 9%, which sits below the national average of around 12%.

Godfrey stressed new challenges like increasing food, medical and housing costs are taking a toll on Utah residents. She added most people don't realize how many Utahns are actually living on the edge.

"In some instances, many instances in fact, the vast majority of individuals are one paycheck away from having a crisis," Godfrey asserted.

Regardless of the situation, Godfrey emphasized her organization is there to help, as action agencies are designed to be nimble to the needs of their respective communities.