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City of Oaks Foundation (2017) Print
2017 AARP Community Challenge Grantee
Project Category
Public places
└ Public space activation
└ Public space activation
As part of efforts to set up a new community center at a donated house, the City of Oaks Foundation purchased furnishings and equipment to host events onsite. To get the property ready, the Foundation hosted several volunteer days, where community members helped restore trails and clear underbrush onsite. In the months that followed, programming at the Joslin House and Garden ranged from plein air painting, art showings, a nature event featuring live owls and other creatures, a mother-grandmother tea, gardening workshops and a lecture on World Way I history. Project organizers say these events -- and others -- have helped with fundraising efforts as work on the house and surrounding gardens continues. The Foundation estimates more than 400 visitors each year have attended events in the community space, with many others visiting to stroll the property.
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Lebanon, IN
AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2022
Project Category: Public space activation
Description: Older adults often skipped downtown events because seating was scarce and carrying chairs or umbrellas was difficult. To remove these barriers, the organization introduced the Helping Hub, a mobile cart stocked with folding and collapsible chairs with armrests. It also includes umbrella-cane combos for shade and mobility support and brochures on local services. Volunteers assembled and deployed the cart at events, making gatherings more inclusive. Participants expressed gratitude, saying it felt like "rolling out the welcome mat." The cart will continue to serve future events and is prompting other groups to consider similar accessibility measures.
Project description was created using generative AI and then reviewed for accuracy.
Rapid City, SD
AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2023
Project Category: Public space activation
Description: Visitors in busy community spaces often had no place to sit, leaving people without a comfortable spot to rest during walks or long visits. To address this, the group partnered with a welding class to design and build two ADA-compliant benches, which were finished with powder coating and installed on new concrete pads. Placing them in the market park created the only seating in that area and offered shaded resting spots for people spending time there. Members said the project helped them recognize broader unmet needs in their community and inspired future efforts. One volunteer noted that the benches were placed in "perfect shaded areas", making the park easier for people to enjoy.
Project description was created using generative AI and then reviewed for accuracy.
Afton, IA
AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2020
Project Category: Public space activation
Description: The City of Afton built a portable parklet, which City staff can easily set up around town. The temporary patio takes up the space of three on-street parking spaces and accommodates tables and chairs for a dozen people. It also includes shade sails to keep visitors out of the sun. Volunteers -- including local high school students -- constructed the parklet out of recycled wooden pallets. Designed to be broken down and stored for winter, the parklet offers extra outdoor seating for local restaurants parklet features shade sails to block out the sun. In addition, the City deploys it on the town square for community events, such as parades and the Fourth of July.
Nearby AARP Community Challenge Projects
Wake Forest, NC
AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2025
Project Category: Walk Audits
Description: Older residents faced safety and mobility challenges when walking through town, including missing sidewalk connections and obstacles that made short trips less predictable. These gaps limited independence for older adults and others with physical challenges, especially near housing, schools and shopping areas. The Town of Wake Forest addressed the issue by conducting a series of walk audits in different parts of town, starting downtown. Older volunteers documented barriers and identified specific improvements needed to make walking safer and more continuous. Findings were compiled into a presentation for planning staff and elected officials. One audit revealed a sidewalk that stopped short of connecting affordable housing to nearby shops, forcing residents to walk in traffic. That example helped inform discussions tied to the Age-Friendly Action Plan and future decisions about sidewalk connectivity and pedestrian investment.
Project description was created using generative AI and then reviewed for accuracy.
Wake Forest, NC
AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2025
Project Category: Bike Audits
Description: The Town of Wake Forest examined why older adults and other residents interested in biking often avoid local streets due to disconnected and unsafe infrastructure. Through a series of bike audits involving volunteers from the Senior Center, participants documented where bike lanes end abruptly, crossings felt unsafe and routes failed to connect neighborhoods to greenways. The audits produced clear, location-specific findings and recommendations prepared for planning staff and elected officials. Volunteers noted that riders often gather downtown and then leave town to stay safe, highlighting missed opportunities for local travel. The results are positioned to inform age-friendly planning and support future investments such as safer crossings, clearer signage and expanded bike facilities.
Project description was created using generative AI and then reviewed for accuracy.
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