AARP commits $139,200 to strengthen communities throughout Hawaiʻi

AARP is awarding 12 grants in a total of $139,000 to improve communities in Hawaiʻi, including $15,000 for a digital literacy project in Hilo as part of its AARP Livable Communities 2026 Community Challenge grant program.

The grants are part of an $8.3 million commitment marking the program’s 10th anniversary and 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.

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.

AARP is giving $15,000 to EAH Housing on the Big Island to provide digital literacy classes for residents at Hale Nā Koa ‘O Hanakahi, a 92-unit affordable housing community in Hilo primarily serving older veterans and their surviving spouses.

“Communities across Hawai‘i are eager for solutions that boost mobility, connection and quality of life,” said AARP Hawai‘i State Director Keali‘i Lopez in an AARP release. “Thanks to community challenge grants, we’re empowering residents to implement impactful improvements that make a sizeable difference.”

AARP Community Challenge since 2017 awarded more than $553,000 in grants to about 40 nonprofit organizations and local government entities throughout Hawai‘i.

Other 2026 Hawai‘i projects

• $15,000 to the Rotary District 5000 Foundation for security fencing and landscaping to finish Centennial Park and add needed green and recreation space in urban Waikīkī.
• $15,000 to the Rice Street Business Association to enhance downtown Līhuʻe public spaces through native plant restoration, seating and shade.
• $15,000 to Leadership Kaua‘i to build an accessible community garden with raised beds, shaded seating and wide pathways.
• $15,000 to Hoʻolehua 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 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.
• $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.
• $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 Pacific Cancer Foundation for home safety workshops 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 Maui Emergency Management Agency to support community workshops to teach emergency preparedness in neighborhoods across Maui County.
• $2,500 to 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,” said AARP Executive Vice President and Chief Advocacy and Engagement Officer Nancy LeaMonda in the release. “There are a lot of things that localities can do to support residents of all ages. 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.”

LeaMonda said AARP is proud to double its investment this year in celebration of the program’s 10th anniversary so even more communities can become great places to live for people at all stages of life.

Visit the AARP website to view the full list of grantees and their projects. Click here to learn more about AARP’s work to support livable communities.