Washington, DC

AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2023

Project Category: Community Gardens

Description: This project will create a community garden for low-income older adults, many of whom live in apartment complexes without outdoor space. The volunteer gardeners will grow produce typically used in Latin American cuisine. The crops will then be distributed to members of the community.

St. Paul, MN

AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2018

Project Category: Public space activation

Description: This project installed a garden with native and pollinator-friendly plants at a local elementary school. Residents -- including a neighborhood Boy Scout troop -- pitched in to prepare the site and plant foliage. Community members have continued to tend to the garden since its installation. Spurred by the success of the garden, school staff area considering planting more native gardens in the future -- including rain gardens to absorb stormwater runoff.

Hamlin, WV

AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2018

Project Category: Roadway/sidewalks/crosswalk improvement

Description: Although Hamlin's residents can access regional bus service, most parts of the community lack transit access and pedestrian infrastructure. To make the community less car-centric, Lincoln County Friends of the Arts installed several artistic crosswalks. They engaged residents to design murals, which volunteers painted on the pavement. The colorful crosswalks draw catch drivers' attention, making them more likely to notice people crossing the street. Organizers hope the traffic calming installations will improve safety for pedestrian and cyclists, ultimately improving mobility throughout the small town.