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Fontana, CA

AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2017

Project Category: Addressing community health

Description: The City of Fontana wanted to motivate its residents to incorporate walking into their daily routines. To do this, the City launched its Fontana Walks program, with the goal of recording two billion steps taken by locals in a year, equaling roughly 1 million miles. Participants registered and received a pedometer and water bottle to help them get going. The City then held its inaugural community walk, which attracted with 100 participants, with hundreds more lacing up their shoes over the next few months. To keep the momentum going, the City created a website with tips and motivation for walkers. The City has continued to host monthly community walks, each featuring a theme.

Flemington, NJ

AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2020

Project Category: Addressing community health

Description: The Harvest Family Success Center aimed to help older residents to improve and maintain their health through a better diet. As part of their efforts, the nonprofit established its Cooks Books program. Organizers set up a free, weekly outdoor produce market. Older adults in the community also received weekly wellness phone calls, which served as check-ins to assess their mental state and financial health. In addition, the Center created a library of health and wellness books. Since the initiative launched local businesses and community groups have stepped in to provide additional resources, including access to a dietician. In addition, project organizers report that during the COVID-19 pandemic the market and wellness check-ins helped older adults in the community avoid social isolation.

Monticello, IA

AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2024

Project Category: Addressing community health

Description: The library will purchase a mobile kitchen to host health and nutrition classes. Programming for adults will focus on making healthy, budget-conscious food choices while classes for children and teens will cover cooking and kitchen basics.

Nearby AARP Community Challenge Projects

New Castle County, DE

AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2020

Project Category: Addressing community health

Description: As soon as the COVID-19 pandemic hit, staff at the Latin American Community Center knew they needed to begin outreach efforts to ensure that New Castle's Latino communities received information about staying safe. Most of our community are essential workers, so it has affected us greatly, said Alicia Dominguez, community engagement coordinator for the ConneXiones initiative. We have clients who are positive in COVID and aren't able to work, The Center conducted a community assessment and developed an action plan. They then held pop-up testing sites and vaccination events, which reached many residents. In addition, LACC supported programs to connect residents to food assistance and rent or mortgage relief.

Kennett Square, PA

AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2020

Project Category: Public space activation

Description: With the goal of supporting small businesses downtown, this project created the first parklet in Kennett Square. Before installing the mini-park, only one side of the borough's main street featured wide sidewalks and could be closed to vehicles on the weekends. Project organizers hoped to expand the space available for outdoor dining and gathering. To do this, the Historic Kennett Square repurposed three on-street parking spaces, installing deck flooring, adding overhead string lights and setting out picnic tables and planters. Four restaurants -- two coffee shops and two restaurants -- used the space. Volunteers designed the parklet be torn down ahead of the winter months and set back up in the spring. Project organizers say the parklet helped demonstrate the value of placemaking projects.

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