Newark, DE

AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2025

Project Category: Public space activation

Description: In the Milford Community Garden, Food Bank of Delaware faced a basic barrier: the audio system was difficult to hear. Volunteers and visitors, including many older adults and those with hearing challenges, struggled to follow announcements, conversation and performances. The garden also wanted calming music to support well-being but lacked reliable equipment. The project team installed a permanent outdoor sound system that now carries clear audio across events and daily shifts. It debuted at a poetry night where attendees heard every reader. One organizer said, "You truly created a magical night... please extend our gratitude for providing such a wonderful sound system." Since then, clearer sound has improved access for older adults, strengthened communication and made the garden a dependable venue partners can use for inclusive programs.

Project description was created using generative AI and then reviewed for accuracy.

Berea, SC

AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2020

Project Category: Public space activation

Description: Greenville County's Parks, Recreation and Tourism Department created a backyard space to the Berea Community Center. A new walking path loop connects the center to new amenities, with include swinging benches, horseshoe pits and a community garden space. The site also features improved landscaping. Project organizers constructed beds for the gardens at a variety of heights -- including three wheelchair-accessible pull-up beds -- to accommodate visitors of different ability levels.

Lake County, MT

AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2023

Project Category: Public space activation

Description: For decades, outdated facilities at the Bison Range limited Tribal elders' ability to gather and connect with their heritage. The Tribes addressed this by installing a wheelchair-accessible shelter near a popular trail and adding ADA-compliant picnic tables, fire rings and pedestal grills-features designed for safety and ease of use. These upgrades transformed the Visitor Center area into an inclusive space for cultural events and family outings. The project also set the stage for broader accessibility improvements, including a redesigned entrance and safer walking paths, reinforcing the Range's role as a place where history and community thrive.

Project description was created using generative AI and then reviewed for accuracy.