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Kamiah, ID

AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2018

Project Category: Public space activation

Description: To create a gathering place for their rural community and provide opportunities for social connection, the Carrot Ridge Volunteer Fire District equipped its red-sided, barn-like building with tables, chairs and small appliances. They then hosted a dinner to thank the many volunteers who donated time, land, building supplies and more to build the center during its construction. Since then, the center has hosted chili cook-offs, a community Thanksgiving event and barbeques for hundreds of residents.

Bethel, ME

AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2021

Project Category: Public space activation

Description: To provide residents with places to sit and gather, the Bethel Age-Friendly Community partnered with local artists and craftspeople to create benches and picnic tables. As a thank-you to organizations that have supported age-friendly work in the region, organizers gave the seating to partner organizations who assist with age-friendly programming, events and volunteer efforts. The benches and tables now sit in each of the six towns that make up the Bethel region. Each table is adorned with a chess board and each bench features decorations that pay homage to the town where it sits, with volunteers chipping in to paint the furniture. Organizers say they hope the project demonstrates the value of simple public space enhancements.

Conyers, GA

AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2021

Project Category: Public space activation

Description: The grounds of the Conyers-Rockdale Library offer locals an attractive, relaxing place to work remotely and enjoy the area's natural surroundings. Through its Birds, Benches and Blooms project, the library installed brightly colored benches around the grounds, including one on the Olde Town Conyers Trail, a well-traveled bicycle and pedestrian path. Project organizers also installed hand-crafted wooden bird feeders with live stream cameras, allowing residents to watch birds in person and from home. Additionally, the library bought two weather-protected corkboards to display community announcements.

Nearby AARP Community Challenge Projects

Morrilton, AR

AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2022

Project Category: Public space activation

Description: This project created an outdoor therapy space, designed to be accessible to people of all ages and abilities. Volunteers poured a concrete slab to serve as a play surface. They also added benches and picnic tables onsite.

Conway, AR

AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2018

Project Category: Bikeability

Description: Riding a bicycle into downtown Conway once involved a search for bike racks, which were in short supply. To fix this, Conway Downtown Partnership created a bike corral. Volunteers painted a brightly colored mural on the pavement to define the corral space, which features a bike rack. The corral supplies a safe, convenient place to park a bicycle and gives cyclists a place to gather and socialize before and after rides.

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