Molokai’s Guzeiji Soto Mission Gets Grant

AARP News Release 

Three organizations in Windward Oahu, Kauai and Molokai will receive 2022 AARP Community Challenge grants worth $49,500 – part of $3.4 million awarded among 260 organizations nationwide. Grantees will implement quick-action projects that help communities become more livable by improving public places; transportation; housing; diversity, equity and inclusion; digital access; and civic engagement, with an emphasis on the needs of adults age 50 and over.

Guzeiji Soto Mission Molokai and Krause Family Foundation ‘Alana Ke Aloha were awarded $11,500 to create an accessible, attractive outdoor community wireless hotspot on Molokai where kupuna and other residents can access the Internet and learn digital literacy.

“AARP Hawaii is committed to working with communities to improve residents’ quality of life through tangible changes,” said Keali`i Lopez, AARP Hawaii State Director. “We are proud to collaborate with this year’s grantees as they make immediate improvements in their communities to jumpstart long-term change, especially for kupuna ages 50 and over.”  

AARP Community Challenge grant projects will be funded in all 50 states, Washington, D.C., Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands. True to the program’s quick-action nature, projects must be completed by November 30, 2022.

The grant program is part of AARP’s nationwide Livable Communities initiative, which supports the efforts of cities, towns, neighborhoods and rural areas to become great places to live for people of all ages. Since the Community Challenge Grant program started in 2017, 20 Hawaii projects have received $234,366 to improve and create parks, beautify urban areas, bring mobile, live theatre to Hawaii Island, encourage bicycle sharing by older residents, make streets safer and generally make communities more livable.

View the full list of grantees and their project descriptions at aarp.org/communitychallenge and learn more about AARP’s livable communities work at aarp.org/livable.