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AARP Commits $139,200 in 2026 to Strengthen Communities Across Hawaiʻi

Grants aims to help residents of all ages, especially kūpuna, improve how they live, move, and stay connected in their neighborhoods through innovative local projects

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AARP is awarding 12 grants totaling $139,000 to improve communities in Hawaiʻi as part of its AARP Livable Communities 2026 Community Challenge grant program.

Marking the program’s 10th anniversary, the grants are part of an $8.3 million commitment by AARP, doubling last year’s total, to fund 750 quick-action projects nationwide aimed at making communities more livable for people of all ages, especially older adults. The funds will support improvements to public spaces, transportation, housing, digital connectivity, disaster preparedness, and other local priorities that help improve social connections and strengthen neighborhoods and towns of all sizes.

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“Communities across Hawai‘i are eager for solutions that boost mobility, connection, and quality of life,” said Keali ‘i Lopez, AARP Hawai‘i state director. “Thanks to Community Challenge grants, we’re empowering residents to implement impactful improvements that make a sizeable difference.”

“This area of Waikīkī far from the glittering beach of Waikīkī, this is a residential neighborhood of high-rise, cramped condos. Fully 6,000 kūpuna live within this area of Waikīkī and we see them every day on the street, in the park sitting on the pedestal stool, having fresh air to come to,” said Carolann Biederman, the president-elect of the Rotary Club of Honolulu, which is getting $15,000 for security fencing, and landscaping to finish Centennial Park and add needed green and recreation space in urban Waikīkī..

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Since 2017, the AARP Community Challenge has awarded more than $553,000 through grants in Hawai'i to about 40 nonprofit organizations and local government entities across the state.

The 2026 projects in Hawai‘i are:

$15,000 to the Rice Street Business Association to enhance downtown Līhuʻe public spaces through native plant restoration, seating and shade.
$15,000 to the Ho‘olehua Homesteader’s Association to complete home repairs for kūpuna to improve safety and comfort for Hawaiian homestead residents living on fixed incomes.
$15,000 to Leadership Kaua‘i to build an accessible community garden with raised beds, shaded seating and wide pathways.
$15,000 to EAH Housing to provide digital literacy classes to residents at Hale Nā Koa ‘O Hanakahi, a 92-unit affordable housing community in Hilo primarily serving veterans and their surviving spouses.
$15,000 to Our Kūpuna to support a ride-hailing dispatch service to coordinate trips for kūpuna impacted by wildfires who face barriers accessing rideshare services on their own.
$15,000 to the Krause Family Foundation ʻAlana Ke ʻAloha to establish a kūpuna homesteader community garden in Hoʻolehua, Molokaʻi, creating an accessible outdoor space that enhances local food security, preserves cultural agricultural knowledge, and strengthens intergenerational community bonds.
$12,000 to Project Vision Hawaiʻi to build a wheelchair-accessible ramp at a residential medical respite site in Līhuʻe to help residents reach housing, recovery services and food programs.
$9,500 to the Pacific Cancer Foundation for home safety workshops on Maui to teach simple room-by-room changes to prevent falls. Education and safety kits will help older adults remain secure during recovery and daily living.
$7,700 to Kailua Alert & Prepared to equip and train volunteers supporting community points of distribution sites with food, supplies and portable communications using a Starlink satellite internet connection to help maintain communication during a disaster when regular communications fail.
$2,500 to the Maui Emergency Management Agency to support community workshops to teach emergency preparedness in neighborhoods across Maui County.
$2,500 to the Kūpuna Paws Foundation to support their pet-inclusive home safety education for kūpuna, including in-home visits.

Some pedestrian safety initiatives will be funded with support from Toyota Motor North America and projects that expand high-speed internet access and adoption will be funded with support from Microsoft.”

“America is aging, and most older adults want to stay in the communities they know and love. There are a lot of things that localities can do to support residents of all ages,” said Nancy LeaMond, AARP, Executive Vice President and Chief Advocacy & Engagement Officer. “AARP Community Challenge grants help transform local ideas into real improvements— from safer sidewalks and improved transportation options to public spaces that bring neighbors together and enhance community connections. As we celebrate the program’s 10th year, we’re proud to double our investment so even more communities can become great places to live for people at all stages of life.”

View the full list of grantees and their projects at aarp.org/communitychallenge. Learn more about AARP’s work to support livable communities at aarp.org/livable.

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