Cheyenne, WY

AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2022

Project Category: Expansion and enhancement of transportation options

Description: Many veterans in Cheyenne struggle to afford household expenses. Local nonprofit Veterans' Rock provides help through food assistance, shower and laundry facilities and more. To help further bridge the gap, the group set out to improve veterans' ability to get around. They distributed gift cards to cover the cost of gas and car repairs and taxi rides, as well as day and month passes for the local transit system. Additionally, they worked with local organizations to repair bikes and volunteer drivers offered free rides. Project organizers said the assistance helped several veterans find jobs. One veteran, who received a bicycle through the initiative, expressed his gratitude. He works a late shift and the city bus doesn't run late enough to get him home. But his new bike has given him freedom to get where he needs to go.

Cheyenne, WY

AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2024

Project Category: Supporting family caregivers

Description: Family caregivers in Wyoming often lacked guidance and emotional support, especially in rural areas. Catholic Charities expanded its Care for Caregiver workshop series to four parishes, offering sessions on topics like legal issues and brain health, plus curated books and recorded presentations for ongoing learning. The program strengthened caregiver confidence and built peer connections, with plans for annual sessions statewide. One participant said the resources arrived just in time to overcome stumbling blocks in their caregiving journey.