AARP Commits Thousands of Dollars to Strengthen Nearly 11 Communities Across New Jersey!

"AARP New Jersey is proud to work with communities across the state to help make them more livable for people of all ages,” said AARP New Jersey State Director Chris Widelo. “These projects are about turning great local ideas into real improvements that make everyday life better, especially for older New Jerseyans."

Here in New Jersey, projects funded include:

• Borough of Leonia: The Borough’s project will conduct three educational trainings on home safety and comfort for people of all ages, focusing on older adults and their families. Participants will gain low-cost home safety and accessibility knowledge and may be eligible for minor home modifications, such as grab bar installations. 
• Camden Community Partnership (CCP): The Golden Brush Collective will create a vibrant mural at 699 Central Avenue in Camden's Centerville neighborhood. This project aims to celebrate the area's rich cultural history and engage local residents, including older adults and individuals with disabilities, in the design process. 
• Delaware River Greenway Partnership: This project will conduct a bike audit in four sessions along a 12-mile stretch of a federal Scenic Byway heavily used by cyclists. Volunteers, including those age 50-plus, will participate. Audit results will be shared with stakeholders like municipalities, land managers, and Scenic Byway representatives, and will also be shared with the public. 
• Denville Public Library: This project will offer in-person and virtual disaster pre-planning training sessions. One session will be at the senior center, one at the library, and two virtually. Participants will receive emergency supply checklists and 72-hour survival backpack kits. Virtual sessions will be open to all libraries in the Main Library Alliance. 
• Judy Weston Garden: Weston Community Foundation (WCFI) will work with partners to conduct walk audits near Judy Weston Garden and Edgemont Park Senior Center. Volunteers will survey sidewalks, intersections, and paths to identify ways to increase safe usage. Results will be shared with local stakeholders and policymakers. 
• Little Falls Historical Society, Inc.: The Little Falls Historical Society is creating a vibrant outdoor gathering space at the Old Town Hall with age-friendly benches, flower gardens, shaded seating areas, and accessible walking paths. This project aims to benefit people age 50 and over, promoting physical and emotional health for the entire community. 
• Millville Housing Authority: The Millville Housing Authority will install a 20'x40' shade structure and raised garden beds at Riverview West, providing low-income older adults with a comfortable, accessible outdoor seating area. This project aims to promote social interaction, physical activity, and mental well-being for residents aged 50 and older. 
• New Jersey Advocates for Aging Well: NJAAW will host a design competition to promote age-friendly and affordable housing in New Jersey. The competition will focus on ADUs, single-family, and multi-family housing, judged on middle-income solutions and universal design. Winning designs will be publicized statewide to encourage development. 
• New Jersey Bike and Walk Coalition: This project will engage Newark’s 50-plus population through interactive events and storytelling sessions to gather input on trails and active transportation. It aims to promote active transportation, preserve local culture, and enhance community connections by ensuring older adults' voices are heard in the planning process. 
• South Orange, Walk Bike Ride & Meadowland Park Conservancy: Walk Bike Ride South Orange, Meadowland Park Conservancy, and South Orange Village will engage volunteers to paint artistic crosswalks, add green paint to bike lanes, and install delineators on Mead Street. This will improve safety for older adults and all visitors to the park and community center. 
• Township of Montville: This project will install a 700-foot sidewalk along Vreeland Avenue, improving pedestrian safety and access to public transportation and parks. The sidewalk will connect a development for residents over 55 years old to existing sidewalks, enhancing walkability to the Township Community Park. 

"AARP Community Challenge projects may be quick to launch, but their impact is long-lasting,” said Nancy A. LeaMond, AARP Executive Vice President and Chief Advocacy & Engagement Officer. “We’re proud to support communities nationwide to advance solutions that make neighborhoods and towns of all sizes better places to live where everyone can thrive. And this year, we’re particularly proud to invest in projects benefitting often overlooked rural areas."

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.