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Asian Americans for Housing and Environmental Justice (2023) Print
2023 AARP Community Challenge Grantee
Project Category
Transportation
└ Transportation Systems Change
└ Transportation Systems Change
Older Asian American Pacific Islanders in Los Angeles faced language and cultural barriers that made public transportation hard to navigate, leaving many isolated. To address this, the group provided in-language travel training, hosted monthly pop-up events at transit hubs and farmers markets and created culturally relevant route maps. Outreach connected with about 4,000 older adults, and volunteers offered one-on-one guidance. The effort secured a five-year city contract to expand language services and influenced policy changes, helping the participants feel connected and empowered with safer, more accessible transit options.
Project description was created using generative AI and then reviewed for accuracy.
Project description was created using generative AI and then reviewed for accuracy.
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See More Projects Like This One
Dallas, TX
AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2023
Project Category: Transportation Systems Change
Description: Better Block Foundation tackled unsafe streets and missing sidewalks in Dallas, where older adults lacked accessible spaces to gather. The team installed an ADA ramp, added benches at bus stops and introduced speed bumps near a food bank serving 1,800 families. Volunteers transformed a parking lot into a shaded seating area and created market stall designs for future use. The effort prompted city discussions on street redesign and tree planting. As one partner said about the speed bumps, "We are so grateful... It's very dangerous. We have needed them for a long time."
Phoenix, AZ
AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2023
Project Category: Transportation Systems Change
Description: Public transit gaps in Phoenix left many older adults isolated and unable to reach health care, housing and food resources. Elaine filled this void by providing 1,000 free rides for hundreds of people age 50-plus, including trips to medical visits, grocery stores and housing appointments. Drivers offered hands-on help, from carrying bags to assisting with wheelchairs, creating a safe and supportive experience. The service helped nine formerly homeless individuals secure stable housing and improved access to essentials for hundreds more. One rider shared, "I appreciate so much that this transportation is available," and shared that one of the drivers is more like a family member and friend than just a worker.
Madison, GA
AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2023
Project Category: Transportation Systems Change
Description: Busy state highways and missing accessible signals made walking downtown risky, especially for older adults and residents of disadvantaged neighborhoods. Madison responded by improving sidewalk paths with curb cuts, ramps and tactile pads, adding new crosswalks and wayfinding signs. It also created a micro-park with benches and footbridges along a creek. These upgrades not only provide safer routes to schools, shops and community spaces but also sparked broader planning for walkability and multi-modal transportation, giving residents a quiet place to connect and stay active.
Nearby AARP Community Challenge Projects
Los Angeles, CA
AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2025
Project Category: Expanding HighSpeed Internet
Description: This project will provide digital literacy workshops and accessible emergency resources to older adults and people with disabilities, enhancing disaster preparedness and promoting the use of high-speed internet.
Los Angeles, CA
AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2019
Project Category: Park enhancements
Description: The 35,000 inhabitants of Los Angeles' Westlake/MacArthur Park community live within a 10-minute walk of Golden Age Park, and a third of those residents live in poverty. Working with city agencies and local senior centers, the Los Angeles Neighborhood Land Trust wanted to beautify the small park and provide a space for gardening and gathering. New picnic tables, a barbecue pit, tool shed and plantings transformed the park into an inviting center for recreation. Since the improvements, the City has footed the bill for continued maintenance. A mural to enliven the site is now in the works.
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