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Bethel Age-Friendly Community Initiative with the Bethel Congo Crafters, the Bethel Area Arts and Music Program and the Gem Theater (2021) Print
2021 AARP Community Challenge Grantee
Project Category
Public places
└ Public space activation
└ Public space activation
To provide residents with places to sit and gather, the Bethel Age-Friendly Community partnered with local artists and craftspeople to create benches and picnic tables. As a thank-you to organizations that have supported age-friendly work in the region, organizers gave the seating to partner organizations who assist with age-friendly programming, events and volunteer efforts. The benches and tables now sit in each of the six towns that make up the Bethel region. Each table is adorned with a chess board and each bench features decorations that pay homage to the town where it sits, with volunteers chipping in to paint the furniture. Organizers say they hope the project demonstrates the value of simple public space enhancements.
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Potlatch, ID
AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2021
Project Category: Public space activation
Description: In 1906, the Washington, Idaho and Montana Railway built the Potlatch Depot, which served as a warehouse to store excess freight and baggage. The Washington, Idaho and Montana Railway History Preservation Group hoped to offer visitors rides on speeders and rail cycles -- small vehicles that travel along the tracks, which railroad employees once used to inspect tracks and reach trains needing repairs. To do this, the group needed to expand into the depot's annex. They worked to renovate the building, stabilizing its foundation, replacing siding and removing interior walls and floor lumber. Project organizers hope the speeder rides will attract the public to the depot's museum and increase a sense of community pride.
Hillsborough, NH
AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2022
Project Category: Public space activation
Description: Residents lacked a sheltered resting spot and a central place to share community information near the local library and community center. The project installed a community kiosk with opposing benches, flower planters and boards for posting announcements, positioned in front of a historic building. The kiosk is now used daily by older adults, families and children, creating a welcoming space for rest and connection. Feedback has been positive, with residents noting its strategic location and inviting design.
Project description was created using generative AI and then reviewed for accuracy.
Southport, NC
AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2021
Project Category: Public space activation
Description: The stories of those buried in the John N. Smith Cemetery in Southport have never been shared with the broader community. As the only African American cemetery in the region, the John N Smith Cemetery Restoration and Preservation group created an outdoor museum onsite. The museum teaches residents about the racial and economic discrimination that Black members of that community have faced, as well as contributions residents made to the community. Project organizers designed and installed interpretive signage, as well as benches and a display board for public announcements and other information. Designed to be accessible for people of all ages, the space recounts an important part of Southport's history and culture.
Nearby AARP Community Challenge Projects
Bethel, ME
AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2017
Project Category: Innovative home maintenance, repair and support services
Description: The Town of Bethel's Age-Friendly Community Initiative created four displays featuring adaptive tools, as well as a catalog with descriptions of each tools and information about where to buy them. One display has been deployed at community outreach events attended by hundreds of residents. Two others are available for nearby communities to borrow for their own events. A local hardware store provided a home for the third display to make adaptive tools available to Bethel residents. In addition, project organizers engaged an occupational therapist to conduct home assessments to help residents determine their risk of falls. Grant funds also supported the local smoke alarm installation and fire escape plan program, conducted in partnership with local fire departments and the Maine Red Cross, as well as the National Fire Protection Association's Be Safe in Your Home initiative.
Berlin, NH
AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2025
Project Category: Transportation Other
Description: Older adults in the region often had to walk along fast, complex roadways to reach food and medical care. Many lacked access to a vehicle, making unsafe intersections a daily barrier. The Council used new traffic calming equipment to stage a pop-up at a busy Jackson intersection They temporarily converted a confusing Y-shaped layout into a clearer T-intersection with added crossings, lane markings and reclaimed space for public use with benches and tables. The demonstration helped residents and leaders visualize safer designs and showed how reducing conflict points can improve comfort for people walking or cycling. The project has increased interest in similar pop-ups across the region, and the reusable equipment will support ongoing demonstrations that inform future planning and possible capital improvements.
Project description was created using generative AI and then reviewed for accuracy.
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