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Friends of Constitution Park Ossipee (2022) Print
2022 AARP Community Challenge Grantee
Project Category
Public places
└ Public space activation
└ Public space activation
The park lacked shade and shelter, leaving older adults and families exposed to sun and rain. Volunteers built a 12-by-16-foot pavilion and added an ADA-compliant picnic table and benches, contributing more than 500 hours to the effort. The pavilion now serves as a safe, year-round gathering spot for meetings and celebrations. One resident stated that now "we see people using the park almost every hour of the day. "
Project description was created using generative AI and then reviewed for accuracy.
Project description was created using generative AI and then reviewed for accuracy.
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Kansas City, KS
AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2021
Project Category: Public space activation
Description: Kansas City's Rosedale neighborhood has lacked a community center for some time, so the Rosedale Development Association renovated and reopened a community meeting space. They added flooring, a barrier-free threshold to provide easy access for people with mobility limitations and a wall anchor system for displaying art and historical artifacts The space now hosts community events, including coffee and conversation meet-ups, adult education classes, yoga sessions and youth activities.
Gooding, ID
AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2020
Project Category: Public space activation
Description: The Gooding Public Library Foundation converted an unused area of West Park into a community commons. Located near Gooding's library, city hall and police station, the site now features accessible picnic tables, shade canopies and lidded trash cans. The library now uses the site for a variety of activities, including story time and science experiments. Library patrons, workers on lunch break and other community members also gather in the space. The library now plans to install a little free library in the park.
Kennett Square, PA
AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2020
Project Category: Public space activation
Description: With the goal of supporting small businesses downtown, this project created the first parklet in Kennett Square. Before installing the mini-park, only one side of the borough's main street featured wide sidewalks and could be closed to vehicles on the weekends. Project organizers hoped to expand the space available for outdoor dining and gathering. To do this, the Historic Kennett Square repurposed three on-street parking spaces, installing deck flooring, adding overhead string lights and setting out picnic tables and planters. Four restaurants -- two coffee shops and two restaurants -- used the space. Volunteers designed the parklet be torn down ahead of the winter months and set back up in the spring. Project organizers say the parklet helped demonstrate the value of placemaking projects.
Nearby AARP Community Challenge Projects
Ossipee, NH
AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2024
Project Category: Emergency preparedness skills
Description: Frequent severe storms left older adults in remote homes vulnerable during evacuations or prolonged isolation. To boost preparedness, the group distributed 215 rolling backpacks stocked with essentials like weather radios, flashlights and water purification tablets at town events. It also provided checklists and registry sign-ups for residents with special needs. Participants said the effort made them feel empowered to plan ahead, and requests for similar programs have come from other communities as organizers work to expand the initiative.
Project description was created using generative AI and then reviewed for accuracy.
North Conway, NH
AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2019
Project Category: Lifelong housing and accessibility
Description: To help homeowners with extra space in their homes find potential tenants, the Gibson Center created a website. The site features information about homesharing, as well as the option for people looking for rooms to rent to match with those with space to share. Modeled after successful homesharing initiatives in other states, the new homesharing service provides reference screenings and background checks, as well as a guide through New Hampshire's landlord-tenant laws.
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