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Atlanta, GA

AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2024

Project Category: Reconnecting Communities

Description: Westview residents faced lasting impacts from displacement tied to Interstate 20, leaving older adults disconnected and their stories unheard. The Cooperative hosted community sessions to collect oral histories and map displaced homes, supported by podcast equipment and media training. Students helped record interviews and participants shared experiences in restorative dialogues that strengthened intergenerational bonds and inspired advocacy. Plans include storytelling workshops, a mentorship program and a digital archive. One session allowed two sisters to reflect for the first time on their displacement, creating a transformative moment of healing.

Project description was created using generative AI and then reviewed for accuracy.

St. Paul, MN

AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2024

Project Category: Reconnecting Communities

Description: The construction of I-94 shattered St. Paul's Rondo neighborhood, displacing families and erasing community life. To preserve this history and amplify older residents' voices, the project interviewed 13 older adults and collected photos to create a virtual reality experience showing Rondo before, during and after freeway construction. Two VR exhibitions engaged residents and youth, fostering dialogue and promoting healing. These immersive stories now serve as a permanent archive, informing redevelopment discussions and promoting more inclusive urban planning for years to come.

Project description was created using generative AI and then reviewed for accuracy.

Nearby AARP Community Challenge Projects

Denver, CO

AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2025

Project Category: Public space improvements to support recovery after extreme weather events

Description: Commun developed an emergency preparedness plan to close safety gaps for older adults and residents with mobility or health challenges in a large, hard-to-navigate building. The team engaged at least 25 participants, many age 50-plus, and trained community leaders to help carry out the plan. Focus groups surfaced practical needs, including tools to locate people with disabilities quickly during an emergency. A high-attendance session followed a movement class to encourage participation. A later medical incident showed earlier conversations improved response as an older staff member calmly coordinated help. Next steps include drills and continued resident leadership.

Project description was created using generative AI and then reviewed for accuracy.

Aurora, CO

AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2020

Project Category: Accessory dwelling units, tiny homes and manufactured housing

Description: This project supported ongoing efforts to create 92 permanently affordable condos in Denver's Santa Fe arts district. Situated around a common courtyard, the housing development sits on the former footprint of two single-family homes. The increased housing density makes space for more people attain homeownership in the neighborhood. Energy efficient appliances, solar power and low-flow plumbing fixtures contribute to each home's energy efficiency. Since its completion, project organizers say the project has inspired affordable housing development elsewhere in Denver.

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