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Coffeyville's Reawakening Neighborhood Initiative (2020) Print
2020 AARP Community Challenge Grantee
Project Category
Housing
└ Innovative home maintenance, repair and support services
└ Innovative home maintenance, repair and support services
By repairing neglected front porches, Coffeyville's Reawakening Neighborhood Initiative set out to demonstrate that small improvements can be a catalyst for community rejuvenation. The organization's Porchology project finished four East Side homes with safety railings, step handrails and new porch swings. They also replaced rotted wood and added decorative plants and birdhouses. Project organizers held a contest to select dwellings for upgrades, with each winner located in Coffeyville's older neighborhood. The Porchology project encourages community members to envision porches as outdoor extensions of homes. Following upgrades to the four selected homes, neighbors have fixed up their own porches, improving curb appeal. In the future, the organization plans to recognize homeowners who have invested in their porches and stage porch parties with music and entertainment.
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Fort Collins, CO
AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2024
Project Category: Innovative home maintenance, repair and support services
Description: Residents of mobile home parks, many age 50-plus and on fixed incomes, face costly repairs and safety risks from issues like frozen pipes and poor air quality. The city hosted four hands-on workshops teaching plumbing basics and power tool use, distributed DIY toolkits and offered Spanish interpretation. Participants learned to clear clogs, replace toilet flappers and safely use tools, with microgrants available for repairs. Surveys show 89 residents gained confidence to tackle maintenance and even help neighbors. "Just having the knowledge, tools and support of neighbors... is giving participants the confidence to tackle home repairs they had been putting off," one organizer noted.
Cleveland, OH
AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2023
Project Category: Innovative home maintenance, repair and support services
Description: Older residents in Cleveland's Union-Miles neighborhood faced unsafe homes and mounting code violations they could not afford to fix. The program delivered free repairs, from electrical and plumbing fixes to stair and drywall work, plus safety upgrades like handrails and grab bars. Volunteers supported outreach and repairs, helping older adults remain safely in their homes. These improvements not only prevented costly violations but also preserved housing assets for future generations and strengthened neighborhood stability.
Fort Collins, CO
AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2023
Project Category: Innovative home maintenance, repair and support services
Description: Older adults in mobile home parks faced mounting repair needs that threatened safety and housing stability. The city organized DIY workshops where residents learned to fix leaks, replace furnace filters and improve insulation. Experts provided toolkits and guidance to support the workshops. These sessions boosted confidence and reduced costs, while feedback led to a mini-grant program for roof and skirting repairs. One participant shared, "I fixed my leaky flapper... I never thought I could do something like that," reflecting how the project empowered residents to maintain their homes and avoid costly problems.
Nearby AARP Community Challenge Projects
Coffeyville, KS
AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2019
Project Category: Accessibility of amenities
Description: The Coffeyville Area Community Foundation transformed a newly resurfaced sidewalk in the 9th Street neighborhood into an ADA-compliant fitness walk. As part of the Walk the Block Project, workers installed informational kiosks, new benches, distance markers at quarter mile intervals and new wheelchair ramps at crosswalks along the 2.5-mile route. The path winds through Coffeyville's revitalized historic downtown, connecting local sites, including the town's main plaza, the Midland Theater, the local community college and a community garden and orchard.
South Coffeyville, OK
AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2024
Project Category: Community Gardens
Description: South Coffeyville lacked spaces for cultural engagement and healthy food access, leaving older adults isolated and youth disconnected from heritage. To address this, the organization created a year-round community garden using Cherokee Nation heirloom seeds for a Three Sisters planting, adding raised beds, benches and solar lighting. Elders taught youth traditional gardening methods, fostering intergenerational bonds and reducing isolation. Harvests included corn, squash, tomatoes and herbs, and plans for food preservation workshops will extend the impact. At the ribbon-cutting, one attendee called it "a wonderful way for both our elders and youth to work together."
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