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New Ulm, MN

AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2018

Project Category: Public space activation

Description: Downtown Action Team partnered with Minnesota Main Street to encourage residents of all ages to come downtown, walk down main street and learn about local history. To encourage socializing, they rearranged underutilized benches downtown, grouping some with new outdoor tables to create places for residents to sit and linger. Organizers installed plaques featuring photos and a brief narrative on the benches. Additionally, they adorned tabled with imagery and text explaining New Ulm's history.

Forest City, NC

AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2024

Project Category: Public space activation

Description: Older residents in Grahamtown lacked safe, comfortable outdoor spaces, making it hard to join events or enjoy gardens without worrying about fatigue or sun exposure. The team installed benches, picnic tables and planters at parks, gardens and community spaces. Volunteers also added address plates for safety. These changes gave older adults places to rest and socialize, strengthened community engagement and even prompted the addition of street lighting. Residents say the improvements make them feel valued and included in revitalization efforts.

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

Claremont, NH

AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2026

Project Category: Public space activation

Description: The department will build a permanent pavilion with shade and seating at a popular park. This structure will provide older adults with a safe place to rest, cool off and gather during walks and community activities.

Nearby AARP Community Challenge Projects

Fayetteville, AR

AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2017

Project Category: Lifelong housing and accessibility

Description: Sources for Community Independent Living Services provides support and advocacy for individuals with disabilities, their families and the larger community through classes and training. The organization hosted an open house showcasing accessible home design features for aging in place. Participants were able to walk through a home with modifications. Additionally, a film crew documented the event and created two short videos featuring a multigenerational family discussing their experience remodeling their home for greater accessibility. The organization also created an informational poster to promote lifelong housing, distributed 3,000 brochures and held an educational event about lifelong housing with the Northwest Arkansas Home Builders Association.

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AARP Arkansas State Office

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Suite 205
Little Rock, AR 72211
United States

Phone: 866-554-5379
Fax: 501-227-7710
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