We've Got The County Covered
We've Got The County Covered
Formerly the American Association of Retired Persons (AARP), AARP announced on June 24 that fourteen organizations throughout Montana will receive 2026 Community Challenge grants. Among those communities is Wasay Wakpa Wachi (Lodge Pole).
According to an AARP press release, the funds are part of the organization’s Community Challenge grant program, which supports “quick-action projects aimed at making communities more livable for people of all ages, with a focus on the needs of adults age 50 or older.” Since its debut in 2017, the AARP Community Challenge has sponsored more than 2,800 grants, investing $32.6 million in livability projects nationwide. In this recent round of annual grants, AARP contributed nearly $180K to strengthening fourteen Montana communities.
“The aim of these grants is to improve how older people live, stay connected, and stay active in their communities through innovative local projects,” says an AARP spokesperson.
Hannah Has Eagle and Hillary Maxwell collaborated to write the grant, which was funded at $15,000. Those monies will be used to develop a walking path with benches and signage around a powwow site to support physical activity and cultural connection for tribal elders.
Maxwell, who serves as a Community Vitality Agent with the Fort Belknap Reservation Extension Office, reports that the grant opportunity came through her MSU Extension partners. “I reached out to Hannah to see if she had a project in mind; it went from there! She’s the rock star behind this project!”
AARP is a major U.S. nonprofit, nonpartisan organization dedicated to empowering Americans 50 and older to choose how they live as they age.
