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Liberty, KY

AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2024

Project Category: Public space activation

Description: Low literacy rates and few enrichment activities left older adults in Casey County without ways to learn and connect. The library installed a StoryWalk along an accessible trail, featuring interactive story panels and hosting a ribbon-cutting event. Walking groups and families began using it for exercise and engagement, and stories rotate monthly. One participant said he that he thought the incorporation of sign language was very useful, and enjoyed learning and using it.

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

Clarkston, GA

AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2024

Project Category: Public space activation

Description: Clarkston's only community center was unusable, leaving older adults without a safe space for activities in a city where language barriers and isolation are common. The organization renovated the center with new furniture and climate control, then launched crochet workshops pairing older adults with youth. It also spurred new Tai Chi and peace education classes. The permanent hub now hosts programs and resource drives, fostering intergenerational learning and cultural exchange. For residents age 50-plus, the center offers consistent programming and a nearby venue to stay active and connected.

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

Baltimore, MD

AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2020

Project Category: Public space activation

Description: This project helped prepare the ground for Rachael Wilson Memorial Park, named in honor of Maryland's first woman firefighter to be killed in the line of duty. To clear room for park amenities, Bon Secours Community Works removed two sections of concrete foundation, left over from the foundations of abandoned homes that once sat on the site. Project organizers also planted 30 trees. The new greenspace is the result of a grassroots effort by two longtime West Baltimore residents and advocates. Today, the park features new playground equipment and a mural painted by a local artist, which pays tribute to Rachael Wilson.

Nearby AARP Community Challenge Projects

Eugene, OR

AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2026

Project Category: Accessibility of amenities

Description: A food pantry entrance will be rebuit with ADA-compliant graded paths, nearby parking and planters. These changes will make grocery access safer and easier for shoppers with mobility challenges.

Eugene, OR

AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2017

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

Description: SquareOne Villages constructed two ADA-compliant tiny houses at Emerald Village Eugene, a permanently affordable tiny home co-op. The 1.1 acre location features 22 tiny houses, ranging in size from 160- to 288-square-feet. Each contains a kitchenette, bathroom and sleeping and living areas. Private donations and in-kind contributions by local architects, builders and others funded the project, with future residents contributed their labor during construction. As a result, construction costs came to around 55,000 per unit, including the price of the land. The monthly cost to residents ranges from 200 to 300 and covers utilities, maintenance, operating costs and common spaces. As members of a housing cooperative, the residents own shares in the village, enabling each to receive some money if they choose to move out. To promote diverse housing options, organization also hosted two workshops on accessory dwellings unit in Eugene.

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