Cooling Centers Open & Grants Available to Improve Stamford

July 9, 2024

I hope you are ready for more high heat and humidity. The state has activated the extreme hot weather protocol once again. Please read below to find a cooling center near you.

Nonprofits and municipalities are eligible to apply for grants to improve our community for everyone. Keep scrolling to learn how the AARP Livable Communities Grant Program works and how to apply.

Unfortunately, almost all of the coral on part of the Great Barrier Reef has died. I'll break down why we need to protect our ocean and prevent more mass bleaching events.

Here are the sections of today's email:

  • Extreme Heat Protocol
  • Grants Available to Improve Stamford
  • Protecting Our Ocean
 
Extreme Heat Protocol
Due to dangerously hot and humid temperatures, the extreme hot weather protocol is in effect once again from now through Wednesday, July 10 at 5 P.M. Cooling centers are open in Stamford and throughout the state, and you can find one by calling 2-1-1 or visiting 211ct.org.
List of cooling centers in Stamford

Below you will find some tips to stay safe in extreme heat:

  • Keep your body temperature cool to avoid heat-related illness.
  • Drink more water than usual.
  • Stay in air-conditioned buildings as much as possible. If you must be outdoors, try to limit your outdoor activity to the morning and evening.
  • Find an air-conditioned shelter. Do not rely on a fan as your primary cooling device.
  • Wear lightweight, light-colored clothing.
  • Take cool showers or baths.
  • Pets that cannot be brought indoors should be provided ready access to water and shade to keep them cool.
  • Never leave pets inside of parked vehicles because temperatures can soar to life-threatening levels within minutes.
Click here for more information
 
Grants Available to Improve Stamford

You're invited to nominate a nonprofit or municipality for the 2024 AARP Livable Communities Grant Program. It is dedicated to funding “quick-action” projects to improve our neighborhoods for people of all ages. The application deadline is Friday, August 16, at 5 P.M.

The AARP Connecticut Livable Communities Grant Program is open to incorporated organizations that are 501(c)(3) or 501(c)(4) nonprofits and Connecticut municipalities.

The maximum amount of any single grant will be $5,000. All applications should be for a project of $5,000 or less. AARP Connecticut has funded 38 projects since the inception of the Livable Communities Grant Program in 2018.

Grant applications should be for projects in Connecticut that are focused on improving the lives of those 50+ and make a positive impact on:

  • Outdoor spaces and buildings
  • Transportation
  • Housing
  • Social Participation
  • Respect and Social Inclusion
  • Work and Civic Engagement
  • Communication and Information
  • Community and Health Services

Please email questions to CTLivable@aarp.org.
Click here to apply!
 

97% of coral on a northern part of the Great Barrier Reef has died in one of the worst bleaching events the reef has ever seen.

A team of scientists made the discovery by looking at footage from a high-tech drone which was flown over the reef by Lizard Island, off the Australian north coast, to work out how coral had been affected there.
Credit: Tim McClanahan
Increased ocean temperature caused by climate change is the leading cause of coral bleaching. Coral bleaching matters because once these corals die, reefs rarely come back. With few corals surviving, they struggle to reproduce, and entire reef ecosystems, on which people and wildlife depend, deteriorate.
Click here to learn more
Check out the video below to learn more about coral bleaching.
The Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority’s Chief Scientist Dr. David Wachenfeld gives a coral bleaching 101 lesson.