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Bon Secours Community Works (2020) Print
2020 AARP Community Challenge Grantee
Project Category
Public places
└ Public space activation
└ Public space activation
This project helped prepare the ground for Rachael Wilson Memorial Park, named in honor of Maryland's first woman firefighter to be killed in the line of duty. To clear room for park amenities, Bon Secours Community Works removed two sections of concrete foundation, left over from the foundations of abandoned homes that once sat on the site. Project organizers also planted 30 trees. The new greenspace is the result of a grassroots effort by two longtime West Baltimore residents and advocates. Today, the park features new playground equipment and a mural painted by a local artist, which pays tribute to Rachael Wilson.
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Atlanta, GA
AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2021
Project Category: Public space activation
Description: Woodruff Park's game cart allows visitors to borrow games, sports equipment and other recreation items at no charge. To improve the kiosk's appearance and attract visitors, the Atlanta Downtown Improvement District partnered with local graphic design students to create highly visible decals. They also used checkerboard decals to convert round park tables into game tables. Finally, the organization purchased new supplies for the game cart, including coloring books, watercolor paint kits and markers and crayons. Following the improvements, the BID used the tabled to host chess tournaments, which attracted new visitors to the park.
Ashland, WI
AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2021
Project Category: Public space activation
Description: A survey showed residents in Ashland wanted more outdoor seating in the city's downtown. As part of larger efforts to revitalize the commercial district the City worked with Ashland Main Street to install decorative benches. The City engaged teams of artists -- including college students and staff from the local food co-op -- to design artwork for the seating. Then, with the help of volunteers, project organizers then installed one bench on every block of Ashland's nine-block commercial area. Each depicts imagery related to the community's identity, including scenes from local history or ecology. Paying homage to nearby Lake Superior, several benches have a water theme. Project organizers say Ashland is known as the mural capital of Wisconsin, and the benches work with other public art installations to draw people to visit downtown.
Tallahassee, FL
AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2020
Project Category: Public space activation
Description: The Goodwood Museum and Gardens revitalized a historic roller rink, transforming it into a gathering space for outdoor activities. The rink -- originally built in 1916 -- sat vacant for years, but the Museum saw potential for the 10,000-square-foot site. Accessibility was a main goal for project organizers, so the Museum installed an ADA-compliant sidewalk, ramp and handrails. They also added lighting to increase safety at the site, levelled the rink's concrete surface, added landscaping and upgraded electrical wiring. These enhancements attracted community partners to the space, including the Irish Repertory Theater and the Southern Shakespeare Company. Today the site hosts a monthly live performance featuring local musicians, along with other community activities.
Nearby AARP Community Challenge Projects
Baltimore, MD
AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2025
Project Category: Bike Audits
Description: Unsafe street conditions made walking and biking difficult in Mount Clare, especially for older adults navigating fast traffic and limited cycling infrastructure. Mount Clare Community Council organized a volunteer-led bike audit to document these risks and bring resident experiences into local planning. Volunteers completed intersection traffic counts, ride-along audits and walk audits that captured how speeding and driver behavior affect daily travel. New virtual meeting equipment also expanded access, drawing more older adults and retirees into neighborhood discussions. The findings helped advance a planned cycle track on Pratt Street and informed a broader neighborhood plan with additional cycling improvements. One participant age 50-plus said the audit encouraged him to start biking and speak out about the need for traffic calming after seeing the dangers firsthand.
Project description was created using generative AI and then reviewed for accuracy.
Baltimore, MD
AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2025
Project Category: Pedestrian Safety
Description: Mount Clare Community Council addressed unsafe sidewalks that made everyday walking difficult for residents, particularly older adults and people with disabilities who rely on foot travel to reach bus stops, gardens and nearby services. Years of deferred maintenance had left cracked pavement, missing curb ramps and hazardous waiting areas along key routes. The Council completed targeted repairs to more than 1,200 square feet of sidewalks, including rebuilding an ADA ramp, fixing sidewalks in front of homes owned by retired residents and improving access at a busy bus stop and a community garden. The work removed long-standing trip hazards and restored code-compliant access where it was most urgently needed. One retired homeowner sent a brief message of thanks after the sidewalk in front of her home was fixed. The project made daily trips safer and supported ongoing efforts to secure broader, city-led sidewalk improvements.
Project description was created using generative AI and then reviewed for accuracy.
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