AARP Nevada wants nonprofits and government agencies to improve communities through quick-action improvement projects made possible through a grant program.

The AARP Community Challenge is in its eighth year and is currently accepting applications online through March 6.

Heidi Anderson, executive director of the Truckee Meadows Park Foundation in Reno, said her group is helping restore an approximately 220-acre decommissioned golf course which has been transformed into what she calls a "healthy, functioning wetland system." She added last year they received more than $14,000 to purchase GRIT Freedom Chairs to make the space more accessible for all.

"It allows anybody who does have some limited mobility to be able to actually get out on the wetland," Anderson explained. "And enjoy and experience being out in nature with the animals and the plants, the birds, and really be able to experience that up close."

Anderson said her group was able to buy a total of four GRIT Freedom Chairs to make outdoor spaces more equitable for everyone. She noted because of the reception of the chairs in the communities they serve, outside funders have shown interest in expanding the initiative. She encouraged groups and organizations to apply.

Anderson pointed out there are many groups and organizations wanting to do good in communities and contended AARP's Community Challenge initiative fosters strong partnerships to be able to do so.

"I am a huge advocate for partnerships and doing things together to amplify what we are doing," Anderson emphasized. "By applying for these grants, by reaching out to these communities, organizations and businesses, we can just do so much more."

According to AARP, grants can range from several hundred dollars for small, short-term activities, to several thousand or tens of thousands for larger projects. This year, the Community Challenge is accepting applications across three different grant opportunities: flagship grants, capacity-building microgrants and demonstration grants.


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The Department of Veterans Affairs has expanded GI Bill benefits, removing the 36-month cap for veterans with multiple periods of service. This change is expected to impact more than a million veterans, offering greater access to education and job training. Ohio is home to programs that aim to empower veterans, providing them with the tools to succeed after their service. One such initiative, DAV Patriot Bootcamp, has been making a profound impact.

Dan Clare is AV Patriot Bootcamp chief communications and outreach officer.

"Ohioans need to know about DAV Patriot Bootcamp. It's an entrepreneur program... trying to give them the building blocks to make success accessible to them after they've served and sacrificed for their country," he said.

The Ohio-founded DAV Patriot Bootcamp provides mentorship and resources to help veterans and their spouses start businesses. While the program has been praised for its impact, critics argue that initiatives like this only address a narrow aspect of veterans' reintegration, leaving broader challenges like affordable health care and housing unmet.

John Matecki, owner of the Whiskerman company, is a veteran who benefited from the bootcamp and said it shaped his entrepreneurial path.

"Since going through, it's a three-day, drinking-from-a-fire-hose-type entrepreneur course... I've landed an amazing mentor who helped get us copyright (and) trademark of our logo and name," he said.

While programs like DAV Patriot Bootcamp foster business success and economic contributions, veterans and advocates emphasize the need for comprehensive solutions to reintegration challenges. With upcoming bootcamp cohorts in February and May, Ohio veterans have new opportunities to engage, but questions remain about addressing the broader needs of those who served.


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Many towns and nonprofit groups probably have ideas about how to improve their communities and now, there is a chance to get funding for projects.

The AARP Community Challenge grant program looks for quick-action projects to make neighborhoods more livable, especially for people age 50 and over. Now in its ninth year, the grant program encourages thinking about ways to better livability by improving public spaces, transportation, housing or digital literacy, to name a few.

Todd Stubbendieck, state director of AARP Nebraska, said they have seen requests for projects in excess of $20,000 but also for as little as a few hundred.

"It's oftentimes less about the money than sort of the impact of the project," Stubbendieck explained. "Sometimes a couple hundred dollars can be a high, high-impact project for a particular community."

The application period has just started for this year's grants, and is open until March 5. Grant winners will have until mid-December to finish their projects.

While the grants often help people over 50 in small or rural communities, Stubbendieck pointed out they have also made a big impact in Nebraska's urban areas, in ways that might not be obvious when thinking about community service grants.

"We funded a project with the City of Omaha that did two traffic-calming safety pedestrian projects at places where there had been pedestrian accidents in the past," Stubbendieck noted.

Other past grants have funded a digital literacy project to help seniors in Lincoln learn basic digital skills and a project in the town of Holdrege, population 5,500, to transform an abandoned lot into a vibrant public gathering place.

A winter storm is headed for north Alabama and southern middle Tennessee, and warming stations are working to provide a safe space for the unhoused.

The National Weather Service predicts that Lawrence, Limestone and Morgan counties could see up to four inches of snow today through Friday, with some surrounding areas expecting up to two inches.

Sgt. Rebecca Lahman with the Salvation Army in Decatur said they have been preparing for the storm, emphasizing the scope of the need in the surrounding area.

"We have about 175 homeless just in the city of Decatur. We also serve Morgan, Limestone and Lawrence counties, and in those three counties, there are no shelters," she said.

The Salvation Army has opened a 24/7 warming shelter since Monday at 4 p.m. and plans to continue until Sunday morning. The shelter is located at 114 14th Street Southwest in Decatur.

As they work to prepare for the winter storm, Lahman cited a critical need for volunteers to help with the warming shelter. Since the shelter serves three areas, Lahman noted a need to assist with transportation to and from the facility. Inside the building, the small crew is stretched thin, and overnight shifts are particularly difficult to staff, and Lahman said volunteers are crucial to ensuring no one is left out in the cold.

"I need volunteers desperately for Thursday, Friday, Saturday, Sunday, and I do need some volunteers that are willing to stay overnight," she continued.

Lahman shared plans to keep the shelter open next Monday and Tuesday from 4 p.m. to 8 a.m., calling for community help through volunteers and donations. She said donations help with food purchases from the food bank, while such items as twin mattresses, sheets and blankets are also in high demand. People who want to donate or volunteer can text 256-556-5075.