April 2020
ECO EL PASO HAS BEEN SELECTED AS A 2020 AARP COMMUNITY CHALLENGE GRANTEE!
Eco El Paso, a 501(c)3 nonprofit based in El Paso, Texas, is thrilled to announce we have been selected to receive an AARP Community Challenge Grant for 2020. We are one of only 184 grantees selected from across all 50 states, Washington D.C., Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands.
With this “quick-action” grant, we will install wayfinding signage, rest stops and shade trees to safely guide residents in the Thomas Manor neighborhood to the Playa Drain Trail. The Playa Drain Trail is part of the larger Paso Del Norte Trail which is a community-driven, collaborative effort to develop a 68-mile county-wide trail in El Paso County, visit www.pasodelnortetrail.org for more information. Connecting the Thomas Manor neighborhood to the Playa Drain Trail will provide access to the Ysleta Pre-K center, two elementary schools, Ysleta Middle School, and Ysleta High School, as well as five parks.
“We are incredibly proud that AARP selected Eco El Paso to receive this grant,” says Shelby Ruff, President of the Board of Directors for Eco El Paso. “AARP is a nationwide leader on making neighborhoods, towns, and cities more livable for all residents and we are honored that they see the tangible value this project will bring our community in El Paso, Texas.”
Eco El Paso is focused on sustainability in the hot-arid climate of El Paso and the surrounding desert region. We are dedicated to fostering a learning environment for sustainable systems and lifestyles while integrating workforce and economic development concepts. From solar energy and battery storage, to sustainable architecture and green building techniques, we want to build a more sustainable El Paso. This AARP Grant will allow us to continue to further our mission! Find out more about Eco El Paso by visiting www.ecoelpaso.org.
Eco El Paso wants to thank Creosote Collaborative for being a sustaining partner over the years. We appreciate their collaboration on this upcoming AARP Community Grant project in El Paso. We can’t wait to share pictures and videos once the project is complete!
About the AARP Community Challenge
The Community Challenge funds innovative projects that inspire change in areas such as transportation, public spaces, housing, smart cities, civic engagement, coronavirus response and more.
It’s all part of AARP’s nationwide work on livable communities, which supports the efforts of neighborhoods, towns, cities and counties across the country to become great places for all residents. AARP believes that communities should provide safe, walkable streets; affordable and accessible housing and transportation options; access to needed services; and opportunities for residents to participate in community life.
To learn more about the work being funded by the AARP Community Challenge across the nation – including all 184 granted projects this year, visit www.aarp.org/CommunityChallenge. You can also view an interactive map of all Community Challenge projects and AARP’s livable communities work at www.aarp.org/livable.
Learn more about Eco El Paso – www.ecoelpaso.org
Contact our team – info@ecoelpaso.org
Donate to our all-volunteer nonprofit – www.ecoelpaso.org/donate