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Victor, ID
AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2019
Project Category: Accessibility of amenities
Description: To help residents with mobility challenges access its facilities, the Valley of the Tetons Library received new stairs and an outdoor gathering area. Organizers replaced the old, uneven stairs with a new staircase featuring steps that are a uniform size and shape, a larger landing and safety railings. Additionally, library staff poured a concrete patio and added benches and planters outside the library's entrance. This created an outdoor area where library patrons can access free Wi-Fi, even when the library is closed for the day. "We provide a lot more things than books," program specialist Rasheil Stranger said.
Rio Arriba County, NM
AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2021
Project Category: Accessibility of amenities
Description: Many residents in Vallecitos live without high-speed internet or even cellphone service. Because of these coverage gaps, the Vallecitos Library and Community Center is one of the only places people can get online to access community services and socialize with their neighbors. To make the facility more accessible for people of all ages, the library built a covered walkway and footbridge that connects from the parking lot into the building. This project installed metal panels and support posts, which allow the walkway to withstand high winds, provide shade from the sun and shield residents from rain.
Fremont, NH
AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2020
Project Category: Accessibility of amenities
Description: To make Memorial Park more accessible for older adults and residents with disabilities, the Town of Fremont built a ramp from the park's parking lot to the playing fields. Previously, visitors had to navigate a steep dirt path to reach the ballfields. A local Eagle Scout candidate led the project. After the COVID-19 pandemic took hold in 2020, the Town moved many indoor events to Memorial Park's ballfields, so people could attend safely in the open air and practice the social distancing.
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Portland, ME
AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2025
Project Category: Housing Choice Design Competitions
Description: AIA Maine saw that many residents living in older homes needed clearer ways to plan for safe aging in place. Limited affordable options and uncertainty about how to adapt homes made it hard for people to understand their choices. The group hosted webinars on adaptable housing, aging in place and multigenerational design, then used its 207 HOME competition to surface practical ideas for one floor living and flexible layouts. Seventeen submissions highlighted ways older adults could remain safely housed while staying connected to their communities. A traveling exhibit will bring these examples to public venues and expand awareness. The competition also strengthened conversations with state partners about the housing needs of older adults. One collaborative team designed a series of small ADU style units to support shared living, and their enthusiasm reflected the value of generating ideas that can shape future policy and design.
Project description was created using generative AI and then reviewed for accuracy.
Augusta, Bangor and Westbrook, ME
AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2020
Project Category: Roadway/sidewalks/crosswalk improvement
Description: To increase safety for pedestrians and cyclists, the Bicycle Coalition of Maine held a series of short-term traffic calming demonstrations in Bangor, North Yarmouth and Bangor. The pop-up installations increased the visibility of crosswalks and shortened crossing distances with simple, cost-effective tools. The Coalition deployed flexible lane delineators and pedestrian-crossing signs. They also painted pedestrian landings at crosswalks and added shared-lane markings -- called sharrows -- to street pavement. To gage the effectiveness of these activities, the organization collected survey responses and traffic data, which showed that traffic speeds decreased and pedestrians appreciated it. Project organizers say the demonstrations helped prove to municipal leaders that streets are for people -- not just people in cars -- and improving safety is possible without complex, expensive road construction.
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