AARP Awards Grant to Harvest Family Success Center

AARP Awards Community Challenge Grant to Harvest Family Success Center

The grant will be used to implement a “Cooks & Books” program to provide fresh food and books for older adults

(August 20, 2020) — Harvest Family Success Center has been named a recipient of a 2020 AARP Community Challenge grant, one of three grantees selected in New Jersey.

Harvest Family Success Center will implement a program, “Cooks & Books,” which will provide low-income seniors with a weekly, free fresh produce market. While at the Center’s market, they will be encouraged to take one of the books from the library, featuring novels as well as healthy eating and wellness books. “Cooks & Books” will help senior community members by breaking isolation and improving food choices for healthier eating.

“Cooks & Books will ensure that all our local seniors will have the opportunity to improve their health and stretch their grocery budget by increasing their intake of fresh, healthy produce each week,” said Penni Trionfo, Harvest Family Success Center’s Development, Volunteer and Resource Coordinator. “Recipes, tastings and health tips will be available each week, along with a huge selection of books to help fill the time for so many of our seniors in fear of contracting COVID-19.”

This project is part of the largest number of Community Challenge grants to date with more than $2.4 million awarded among 184 organizations nationwide. Grantees will implement “quick-action” projects to create more livable communities across all 50 states, Washington, D.C., Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands. All projects are expected to be completed by December 18, 2020, and are designed to achieve one or more of the following outcomes:

• Create vibrant public places by improving open spaces and parks and activating main streets.
• Deliver a range of transportation and mobility options by increasing connectivity, walkability, bikeability, wayfinding, and access a wider range of transportation choices.
• Encourage the availability of a range of housing by increasing accessible and affordable housing solutions.
• Increase civic engagement and demonstrate the tangible value of “Smart Cities” by bringing together local leaders and residents from all backgrounds to address challenges.

• Support coronavirus response and recovery efforts by ensuring older adults’ access to information, essential services, and civic life.

“We are incredibly excited to support Harvest Family Success Center as they work to make immediate improvements in Flemington, encourage promising ideas and jumpstart long-term change,” shared Stephanie Hunsinger, AARP New Jersey’s State Director. “Our goal at AARP New Jersey is to support the efforts of our communities to be great places for people of all backgrounds, ages and abilities and the coronavirus pandemic has only underscored the importance of this work.”

Other New Jersey grantees include Trenton Health Team and Metuchen Downtown Alliance. The full list of grantees can be found at www.aarp.org/communitychallenge.

The Community Challenge grant program is part of AARP’s nationwide Livable Communities initiative, which helps communities become great places to live for residents of all ages. View an interactive map of all of the Community Challenge projects and AARP New Jersey’s livable communities work at www.aarp.org/livable.

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About AARP

AARP is the nation’s largest nonprofit, nonpartisan organization dedicated to empowering people 50 and older to choose how they live as they age. With a nationwide presence and nearly 38 million members, AARP strengthens communities and advocates for what matters most to families: health security, financial stability and personal fulfillment. AARP also produces the nation's largest circulation publications: AARP The Magazine and AARP Bulletin. To learn more, visit www.aarp.org or follow @AARP and @AARPadvocates on social media.

About Harvest Family Success Center

Harvest Family Success Center’s mission is to provide a welcoming environment to strengthen and empower individuals and families through family-centered activities, educational workshops, and access to resources needed to maintain healthy relationships. Harvest Family Success Center is determined to be there for each family in Hunterdon County. A Family Partner is on staff to work with families to create a plan of life that addresses goals and dreams holistically and realistically.