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Bridges Community Action Partnership (2024) Print
2024 AARP Community Challenge Grantee
Project Category
Transportation
└ Expansion and enhancement of transportation options
└ Expansion and enhancement of transportation options
Older adults struggled to reach grocery stores and pharmacies because the community circulator ran only once a week. The project added a second weekly route, hired a licensed driver and enlisted volunteers to help riders with bags. The expanded service connected residents to stores, doctors and the Senior Center, giving them more flexibility and reducing isolation. Riders said the change "helped them feel more independent," and some visited the center for the first time, enjoying activities and socializing without worrying about transportation.
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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Philadelphia, PA
AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2022
Project Category: Expansion and enhancement of transportation options
Description: UESF tackled transportation barriers for older adults in Philadelphia by providing SEPTA passes and ride-hailing trips to reach Oak Street Health centers for benefit applications and document retrieval. The program integrated transportation into mobile outreach, hosting workshops and distributing resources at multiple sites. These efforts helped older adults secure vital documents and prevent utility shutoffs, reducing housing instability. One participant shared that transportation assistance "helped achieve long-term stability and alleviated the stress of having a utility turned off," underscoring its role in promoting independence and security.
Spokane, WA
AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2020
Project Category: Expansion and enhancement of transportation options
Description: Spokane Neighborhood Action Partners launched Neighbors on the Go, a volunteer driver program to transport older adults and individuals with disabilities to medical appointments. To raise awareness of the service and assure riders that the drivers had been vetted, SNAP set out to brand the program. They distributed brochures about Neighbors on the Go to local community centers and health clinics. In addition, SNAP equipped each volunteer vehicle with magnetic door decals and provided SNAP-branded polo shirts and name tags to drivers. SNAP also hosted training sessions with new volunteer drivers and provided them with personal protective equipment to keep them safe during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Des Moines, IA
AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2022
Project Category: Expansion and enhancement of transportation options
Description: Older adults in central Iowa faced isolation and missed appointments because they lacked affordable, on-demand transportation. The project funded over 800 rides through a call-center program that let riders book ride-hailing trips without a smartphone. Trips included medical visits, grocery runs and social outings, helping participants stay connected and independent. One rider shared, "it makes us very happy to see each other!" after using the service to visit a lifelong friend in a care facility.
Nearby AARP Community Challenge Projects
Delaware, OH
AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2022
Project Category: Park enhancements
Description: Unity Park lacked safe gathering spaces and fitness options for older adults in an underserved neighborhood. The project added accessible fitness stations, a shade structure and a programming fitness area on a cushioned surface. It also put in benches and safety lighting to make the space inviting. These improvements introduced older adult recreation and created a venue for health programs in partnership with local agencies. One resident said, "I appreciate that there are benches and equipment that are accessible to people of all ages." Plans for a loop trail and additional amenities will expand opportunities for active living.
Delaware County, OH
AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2021
Project Category: Community Gardens
Description: To give older adult residents of an affordable housing complex a space to gather, SourcePoint and Age-Friendly Delaware County created an accessible community garden. Volunteers installed raised beds to enable gardeners to work without needing to kneel down. Additionally, they laid an ADA-complaint crushed gravel path, added accessible benches and erected an aluminum fence around the space. Today, St. Michael's Community Garden hosts programming for gardeners and non-gardeners alike, including healthy cooking classes. Project organizers say the garden has helped combat social isolation, and senior housing residents now grow produce in their own backyard, which helps reduce their grocery bills.
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