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Fort Wayne, IN
AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2019
Project Category: Park enhancements
Description: Bridge of Grace Ministries set out to make the underserved Mount Vernon Park neighborhood safe, walkable and accessible for all. Their effort included physical improvements, including updated landscaping, new porch swings and banners promoting their work. They also conducted a storytelling project, inviting Mount Vernon Park residents to gather and share their personal histories and experiences. Volunteers videotaped the event and featured the stories on YouTube. Participants in the storytelling events reported a profound sense of connection with neighbors and the community.
Los Angeles, CA
AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2019
Project Category: Park enhancements
Description: The 35,000 inhabitants of Los Angeles' Westlake/MacArthur Park community live within a 10-minute walk of Golden Age Park, and a third of those residents live in poverty. Working with city agencies and local senior centers, the Los Angeles Neighborhood Land Trust wanted to beautify the small park and provide a space for gardening and gathering. New picnic tables, a barbecue pit, tool shed and plantings transformed the park into an inviting center for recreation. Since the improvements, the City has footed the bill for continued maintenance. A mural to enliven the site is now in the works.
Montevallo, AL
AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2020
Project Category: Park enhancements
Description: Montevallo had no commercial gym in town. To help residents -- including low-income families and older adults -- build healthy habits and reduce their risk for chronic diseases, the City installed fitness equipment in two of Montevallo's most popular public parks. The project is part of larger plans to redesign George Daily Park to be Montevallo's first ADA-accessible park. The other site -- Orr Park -- is located next door to the community's senior center. Equipment includes an ab crunch and leg lift apparatus, steps, ladder bars, pull up and push up bars and a hand cycle machine.
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Casper, WY
AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2017
Project Category: Public or private transit access
Description: The Casper Area Transportation Coalition, the former transit provider for the region, aimed to provide better and safer service to bus riders traveling to and from the Hilltop Center. The bus stop serving those riders -- one of the most heavily-used in Casper -- consisted of nothing but an unprotected bench. To solve this, the Coalition erected a five-foot-by-10-foot shelter at the stop. The project also added a second bench to accommodate more riders. To cover unexpected costs, the coalition obtained a second grant from another organization to take the project over the finish line. In 2021, the City of Casper took over operation of the local bus service.
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