{"id":35949,"date":"2025-07-03T18:17:19","date_gmt":"2025-07-03T18:17:19","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/35949\/"},"modified":"2025-07-03T18:17:19","modified_gmt":"2025-07-03T18:17:19","slug":"2-san-antonio-nonprofits-among-grant-recipients-for-aarp-community-challenge","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/35949\/","title":{"rendered":"2 San Antonio nonprofits among grant recipients for AARP community challenge"},"content":{"rendered":"

SAN ANTONIO<\/strong> \u2013 Two local nonprofits were selected as grant recipients from an AARP Community Challenge, each tackling projects aimed at serving older adults and the broader community.<\/p>\n

AARP sought projects that could specifically benefit those aged 50 and older, according to an AARP website describing the challenge.<\/p>\n

Since the community challenge debuted in 2017, it has invested over $24.3 million in more than 2,000 projects, according to the website.<\/p>\n

Gardopia Gardens<\/a> and ActivateSA<\/a>, the recipients of the two grants, will separately utilize funding for a community garden and crosswalk art installations, respectively. <\/p>\n

Community garden at Ella Austin Community Center<\/b><\/p>\n

Gardopia Gardens CEO Stephen Lucke said the East Side nonprofit selected the Ella Austin Community Center through a \u201clongstanding partnership\u201d with youth after-school and summer programs at the site.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019re super excited to be sowing the seed of this partnership, it will help us continue to grow our mission of a healthy and sustainable community,\u201d Lucke said in an email to KSAT.<\/p>\n

Lucke said San Antonio\u2019s Department of Human Services helped to choose the center due to a \u201cgrowing interest in starting a community garden.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWater is accessible, and it serves multi-generational populations, which is part of the grant,\u201d Lucke said.<\/p>\n

The garden is planned to launch, according to Lucke, in early September, with a volunteer build day scheduled for Friday, Sept. 5.<\/p>\n

Beacon Hill sidewalk art installation <\/b><\/p>\n

ActivateSA will use its funding to install two sidewalk art installations across the Beacon Hill neighborhood on the city\u2019s North Side. <\/p>\n