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Clear Path for Veterans New England (2021) Print
2021 AARP Community Challenge Grantee
Project Category
Public places
└ Public space activation
└ Public space activation
As part of larger efforts to create a community space that honors veterans, Clear Path for Veterans added Adirondack chairs and tables to the Devens Memorial Courtyard. Project organizers hope the space offers visitors the opportunity to sit and quietly reflect on those who have served the nation. The new seating is also set up to facilitate private, face-to-face mental health and integrative wellness coaching sessions -- ensuring veterans and their health care providers had a safe, outdoor space to meet during the COVID-19 pandemic. Since installing the seating, Clear Path for Veterans has used the courtyard to host meetings with veterans and mental health professionals, as well as community meals and vaccination clinics.
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Liberty, KY
AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2024
Project Category: Public space activation
Description: Low literacy rates and few enrichment activities left older adults in Casey County without ways to learn and connect. The library installed a StoryWalk along an accessible trail, featuring interactive story panels and hosting a ribbon-cutting event. Walking groups and families began using it for exercise and engagement, and stories rotate monthly. One participant said he that he thought the incorporation of sign language was very useful, and enjoyed learning and using it.
Project description was created using generative AI and then reviewed for accuracy.
San Diego, CA
AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2019
Project Category: Public space activation
Description: This project helped transform a vacant lot in San Diego's City Heights neighborhood into a vibrant gathering space for residents of all ages. To encourage community members of the dense, diverse neighborhood to connect with each other, the Community Development Corporation installed art at the new public space. Since this activation, the space continues to provide a spot for artists to display their work. Project organizers say although the installation was intended to be temporary, it reinforced the value of creating similar community spaces in the future.
Browning, MT
AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2018
Project Category: Public space activation
Description: This project enhanced the Eagle Shield Senior Center's outdoor space, adding canopy swings, as well as fencing and landscaping. Project organizers hope the outdoor area becomes an age-friendly gathering space, giving Blackfeet elders a place to share their culture and language with each other -- and with future generations.
Nearby AARP Community Challenge Projects
Ayer, MA
AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2025
Project Category: Public space improvements to increase high-speed internet
Description: Health Equity Partnership of North Central Massachusetts addressed persistent barriers that made it hard for older adults to access medical care, including long travel distances, limited public transit and the loss of nearby hospital services. For many residents, telehealth appointments were offered but felt out of reach without reliable technology, private space and hands-on support. The project equipped libraries and other community centers to serve as telehealth access hubs. It provided equipment, private rooms and staff trained to guide older adults through appointments and scheduling. Training modules were designed with older adults in mind to reduce anxiety and build confidence using digital tools. Five sites are now operating as telehealth hubs, creating new, trusted access points for care. Early success has prompted plans to expand to additional locations and strengthened advocacy for broader telehealth policy changes that could improve long-term access to care.
Project description was created using generative AI and then reviewed for accuracy.
Westford, MA
AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2025
Project Category: HomeFit Modifications
Description: This project will conduct two educational trainings on home safety and comfort, targeting older adults and their families in English and Spanish. The program offers assistance to qualified seniors, veterans, and families to address health, safety, and code violations.
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