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West Sacramento, CA

AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2019

Project Category: Emergency preparedness skills

Description: West Sacramento officials were disturbed by the statistics: older adults are more than twice as likely to die or be injured in a house fire. City officials commissioned a video to educate older adults about ways to improve fire safety, focusing specifically on people living in areas with higher incidences of fire-related accidents. The video featured the local fire marshal and residents, who were quizzed on their knowledge of fire safety. They discussed whether they had fire extinguishers and smoke detectors in their homes and what they thought was the leading cause of fires. The video aired on public access television and project organizers posted it online and promoted it via social media. Additionally, the City handed out 96 free smoke and carbon monoxide detectors to locals.

Pine Ridge, SD

AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2023

Project Category: Addressing community health

Description: To increase tribal elders' access to locally-grown food, this project will host a weekly farmers market featuring traditional foods that students will grow, harvest and prepare.

Philadelphia, PA

AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2019

Project Category: Resources about housing options, safety and services

Description: An eviction prevention pilot program enabled tenants and landlords to resolve disputes before they escalated to formal eviction filings. The City of Philadelphia's two-month program provided mediation, financial assistance, information and referrals to help landlords and tenants reach mutually agreeable, out-of-court solutions. To do this, the City worked with partner agencies to train 10 experienced mediators in landlord-tenant law. The program also set up meetings between tenant advocates and tenants prior to mediation to assess their situation and offer advice. All participating landlords and tenants reported they were satisfied or extremely satisfied with the pilot. Moving forward, the City plans to use the results of this pilot as a model for a 12-month mediation program. In the long term, the City expects to see fewer evictions, reduced displacement and cost savings for landlords, property managers and the local homeless services system.

Nearby AARP Community Challenge Projects

Alamogordo, NM

AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2023

Project Category: Public space activation

Description: This project will beautify alleys that visitors will use to access businesses during an upcoming streetscape construction project on Alamogordo's main street. The grant will repair surfaces, making them safer for walking, and add benches and flowers, shade and LED lighting.

Albuquerque, NM

AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2019

Project Category: Public space activation

Description: The Barelas Community Coalition hoped to create a welcoming, multigenerational gathering space to allow community members to eat, play, and learn together. The organization constructed a shade structure, added a bench, installed solar lighting and displayed signage at a public courtyard. The outdoor area is part of the Las Esquinita complex, an indoor commercial space that includes a small food hall and artisan market. It is also located next to a new food truck park, which the Coalition helps manage. Today, the space serves as a public art venue where resident can communicate their ideas, wants and feelings alongside an existing mural. Project organizers say the project helped secure long-term support for their activation efforts and allowed the community to rally around local revitalization activities.

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