AARP Hearing Center
AARP Livable Communities Map
See More Projects Like This One
Clearwater, FL
AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2024
Project Category: Addressing community health
Description: Many older adults in Pinellas County face food insecurity and lack access to nutritious meals due to transportation barriers and limited cooking facilities. To address this, 360 Eats purchased commercial freezers and refrigerators and expanded storage for rescued food. This enabled its mobile kitchen to deliver over 1,300 chef-prepared meals to older adults at six sites. The upgrade also supported pop-up meal service for hurricane-displaced residents. The project improved health and reduced isolation by bringing meals directly to older adults. One recipient said, "You're really giving us what we need: a real meal," and noting how important nutrition is to him.
Project description was created using generative AI and then reviewed for accuracy.
Roanoke, VA
AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2023
Project Category: Addressing community health
Description: Older adults in Roanoke lacked safe outdoor spaces for exercise and social connection, increasing isolation and health risks. The Local Office on Aging built an outdoor fitness area with specialized equipment, shaded seating and fall-resistant surfaces. The space now hosts balance workshops and social gatherings, helping older adults improve mobility and reduce isolation. Future plans include a paved walking track and volunteer-led sessions to guide equipment use. As one participant said, "This is a great need for our senior community, and I am looking forward to having a safe place to exercise with my friends."
Project description was created using generative AI and then reviewed for accuracy.
Denver, CO
AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2021
Project Category: Addressing community health
Description: There is no shortage of underutilized urban land in Jefferson, Denver and Boulder Counties and no shortage of residents in need of fresh fruits and vegetables. Established by a group of farmers, researchers, teachers, business leaders and activists, Sprout City Farms works to increase food access and community resiliency by farming unused plots within the region. This project jumpstarted monthly workshops designed to connect residents with the local food system, along with virtual events to introduce people to Sprout City's community farming model. Additionally, the organization provided fresh produce to community members through its pay-what-you-can farm stands. The nonprofit also donated its harvest to the OUR Center in Longmont, with supplied 300 households with fruit and vegetables each week. To reach residents in their neighborhoods, Sprout City's e-bicycle-powered Sprout 'n About veggie mobiles made deliveries of fresh produce.
Nearby AARP Community Challenge Projects
Portland, OR
AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2019
Project Category: Engaging people in transportation options/safety
Description: This pilot program taught Chinese-speaking elders to use smartphones to access information about bus schedules, routes and fares. APANO held three hands-on workshops in the Jade District, one of the most diverse areas of Portland. The neighborhood is home to the city's busiest bus route, which serves a housing complex for older adults. APANO navigators worked with youth leaders fluent in Mandarin and Cantonese to teach participants to use the local transit agency's TriMet app, as well as Google Maps. Workshop organizers hoped to reach 50 participants but the first training alone welcomed more than 70 people. Organizers also led practice trips to locations important to workshop participants. APANO reports that building confidence in public transit helped stave off food insecurity during the COVID-19 pandemic, as older adults were able to travel by bus to obtain culturally specific grocery staples.
Portland, OR
AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2023
Project Category: Innovative home maintenance, repair and support services
Description: Unsafe housing and costly repairs threatened older adults' ability to age in place in Portland. REACH's Community Builders Program stepped in to complete major fixes, from replacing sewage pipes and restoring bathroom access to installing an ADA-height toilet and repairing roofs. Volunteers and subcontractors also cleared gutters and improved kitchen safety. These repairs eased financial strain and created healthier homes. "Your help allows us to continue to live independently," said one homeowner, reflecting the program's impact on stability and quality of life.
Project description was created using generative AI and then reviewed for accuracy.
LEARN MORE AND STAY INFORMED
Find articles and resources about making communities more livable for people of all ages
Download or order free publications from AARP Livable Communities
Sign up for the free, weekly, award-winning AARP Livable Communities eNewsletter
Don't see your community listed?
LEARN HOW IT CAN JOIN THE NETWORKConnect with your AARP State Office
AARP has offices in all 50 states as well as in the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands.
AARP Oregon State Office
9200 SE Sunnybrook Boulevard
Suite 410
Clackamas (Portland), OR 97015
United States