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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.
Mission, SD
AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2021
Project Category: Park enhancements
Description: The Rosebud Reservation's Kimmel Park had a bad reputation in the community, and the site badly needed maintenance. To give the space new life, the City of Mission partnered with local tribal locations to update park amenities. They installed a new playground with accessibility features, including ADA-complaint picnic tables, rubber mulch, benches and a ramp. Organizers say they hope the park becomes a welcoming space for tribal elders to visit with their grandchildren. Today, members of the community chip in to keep the park clean. And the City plans to continue making upgrades to Kimmel Park, including reopening a closed swimming pool.
Cosmopolis, WA
AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2022
Project Category: Park enhancements
Description: This project upgraded an underutilized park with ADA-compliant benches, a covered area, ramps, picnic tables and more.
Nearby AARP Community Challenge Projects
Elyria, OH
AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2025
Project Category: Disaster Preparedness
Description: Older adults in Lorain County often lacked disaster preparedness resources and faced transportation barriers that made it hard to get emergency supplies. Neighborhood Alliance used its Mobile Seniors program to deliver customized preparedness kits directly to these residents, including essential items and guidance from the county emergency management agency. Community partners and volunteers added supplies, expanding the effort. The kits increased safety and confidence, and one recipient said, "For the first time, I feel like I have a plan..." The program also strengthened ongoing wellness checks and created a model that can continue through community support.
Fairview Park, OH
AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2025
Project Category: Public space improvements to increase highspeed internet
Description: City of Fairview Park addressed barriers to medical access for older adults who faced transportation challenges and limited comfort with digital tools. The local Senior Center created a private telemedicine station with reliable internet, computers and privacy features. This was paired with hands-on support from staff and volunteers to help residents understand virtual visits and use the technology with confidence. The station allowed older adults to connect with providers from a familiar setting, reducing travel and wait times while supporting ongoing digital literacy. Early use showed immediate value. One participant said after her first visit, "She was so happy to speak with her doctor without having to sit in a waiting room... the appointment time started exactly on time." The project strengthened the Senior Center's role as a long-term hub for digital health care access and support.
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