Puyallup, WA

AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2020

Project Category: Entrepreneurship and improved economic resilience

Description: This project created an age-friendly business certification program, which identifies businesses that intentionally accommodate older adult customers. After recruiting businesses to participate, project organizers scored each one based on customer service, environment, access and discounts. To incentivize businesses to participate, the Main Street Association chose six businesses with a 90 score to win decorative planter boxes. Participating businesses signed a pledge to be age-friendly and received certification stickers to display in their storefront windows. Businesses can apply to be re-certified every two years.

Portland, ME

AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2022

Project Category: Entrepreneurship and improved economic resilience

Description: This project piloted an age-friendly business designation in Portland. The designation encourages local businesses to adopt practices that accommodate older adult customers. Participating businesses receive a certificate, as well as window decals advertising their status as an age-friendly business. Additionally, the Ramp Up for Accessibility project provided portable ramps and wireless doorbells to locations that are open to the public.

Augusta, GA

AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2021

Project Category: Entrepreneurship and improved economic resilience

Description: Music and farming are deep parts of Augusta's culture. To support Black musicians and farmers through agrotourism, Garden City Jazz created a series of outdoor concerts, dubbed Soul Soil. The concert series -- which took place at local farms -- featured performances by professional gospel, jazz and blues musicians and attracted visitors from all around the region. The series also sparked important conversations about the inequities Black farmers face. This resulted in new partnerships, as well as the creation of cooperatively owned farmers market.