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City of West Sacramento (2018) Print
2018 AARP Community Challenge Grantee
Project Category
Transportation
└ Expansion and enhancement of transportation options
└ Expansion and enhancement of transportation options
The City of West Sacramento wanted to improve older adults' ability to move independently around the community. First, the City identified barriers that kept residents from embracing new transportation services. Then they set out to make older adults aware of local rideshare and bikeshare offerings. To help older adults understand their options, the City held one-on-one trainings with individuals, as well as group training sessions. Additionally, they mailed informational fliers to residents. Data gathered during the pilot project enabled city staff to better understand how to structure programs in the future to maximize ridership among people of all ages. It also expanded many older adults' ability to run errands, meet up with friends and travel to medical appointments. Now we have options, one resident told city planners.
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Thermopolis, WY
AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2025
Project Category: Expansion and enhancement of transportation options
Description: In a county with a high share of residents age 50 and over, many older adults faced safety risks at home and limited access to clear, practical guidance on emergency preparedness. Hot Springs County Senior Citizens Center addressed these gaps through workshops, a community resource fair and direct outreach. The program reached both regular visitors and residents new to the center, including people who are homebound. The project shared hands-on safety education and distributed emergency items, supported by local fire, law enforcement and emergency management partners. The effort strengthened local coordination and helped residents better understand where to turn for help. One family later used a fire blanket received through the project during a small kitchen fire, underscoring how accessible information and basic tools can make a difference. The center plans to continue the resource fair and build on new partnerships to keep safety education visible and ongoing.
Project description was created using generative AI and then reviewed for accuracy.
Thayne, WY
AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2023
Project Category: Expansion and enhancement of transportation options
Description: Older adults in rural Wyoming often travel hundreds of miles for specialty medical care, with no public transportation and harsh weather making trips risky. The center launched a volunteer-driven program that completed 27 trips and covered more than 6,500 miles to nine facilities, enabling 29 critical appointments, including vision-saving procedures. The effort revealed a pressing need for permanent solutions. One rider said that this project provided her the only way she was able to get to Idaho Falls for medical care.
Project description was created using generative AI and then reviewed for accuracy.
Farmington, ME
AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2022
Project Category: Expansion and enhancement of transportation options
Description: In rural Franklin County, older adults faced severe transportation barriers, leaving many unable to reach medical appointments or groceries. United Way expanded its Community Rides volunteer driver program, recruiting and training drivers, distributing outreach materials and coordinating free rides. Riders reported fewer missed appointments and more social engagement. One participant said the service is "convenient, helpful and safe," while a volunteer noted, "It's hard to imagine not being able to get to places where and when I need to," underscoring its impact on independence and community ties.
Project description was created using generative AI and then reviewed for accuracy.
Nearby AARP Community Challenge Projects
West Sacramento, CA
AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2017
Project Category: Roadway/sidewalks/crosswalk improvement
Description: Residents of a senior apartment complex complained that the intersection connecting them to a senior apartment complex to West Sacramento's City Hall, senior center, library and transit center was difficult to cross. To help residents safely reach local amenities, the City of West Sacramento installed countdown timers, pedestrian-controlled crosswalk buttons and talking signals. Since the upgrades, the City reports no older adults have been struck by cars at the intersection. And the project's success has inspired West Sacramento officials to incorporate age-friendly elements in other infrastructure projects, including future crosswalk improvements.
West Sacramento, CA
AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2019
Project Category: Emergency preparedness skills
Description: West Sacramento officials were disturbed by the statistics: older adults are more than twice as likely to die or be injured in a house fire. City officials commissioned a video to educate older adults about ways to improve fire safety, focusing specifically on people living in areas with higher incidences of fire-related accidents. The video featured the local fire marshal and residents, who were quizzed on their knowledge of fire safety. They discussed whether they had fire extinguishers and smoke detectors in their homes and what they thought was the leading cause of fires. The video aired on public access television and project organizers posted it online and promoted it via social media. Additionally, the City handed out 96 free smoke and carbon monoxide detectors to locals.
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