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Hui o Hauula (2022) Print
2022 AARP Community Challenge Grantee
Project Category
Public places
└ Park enhancements
└ Park enhancements
An abandoned five-acre lot had a high number of invasive plants and illegal dumping, leaving residents without a safe outdoor space. Hui o Hauula rallied more than 100 volunteers to clear the land, build a walking trail and install ten ADA-compliant benches. Older adults and youth collaborated with a local artist to paint a 20-foot mural celebrating resilience, unveiled during a cultural event with music and hula. Today, the site hosts daily walkers, children playing ball and a weekly farmers market, with plans for a resilience hub and health programs underway. "If you build it they will come... and they did," said one organizer.
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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See More Projects Like This One
Bennington, VT
AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2019
Project Category: Park enhancements
Description: After the Town of Bennington removed an out-of-date play structure, Stark Street Park was essentially an empty field. To draw residents of all ages back to the Park, the Town's Office of Community Development devised a plan to add a natural playground, bicycle pump track and a quarter-mile walking path. This project added an accessible path, which loops around the playground. In addition, the Town planted a pollinator garden with perennial plants attractive to butterflies and bees, installed two wooden benches and erected a welcome sign at the park entrance. Since these improvements, the nearby hospital obtained land and trails, which connect to Stark Street Park. The town has also added a mountain bike course onsite.
McComb, OH
AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2017
Project Category: Park enhancements
Description: McComb prides itself on the public park on the village's east side, which encompasses four baseball fields, tennis and basketball courts, a public pool, two reservoirs for boating, walking and fitness trails and a 36-hole disc golf course. The McComb Economic Development Organization installed drinking fountains and benches around the reservoir, plus a merry-go-round and several swings, including one designed specifically for wheelchair users. The park has remained an important community resource and serves as the location for events, such as the annual McComb Cookie Festival.
Mannington, WV
AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2023
Project Category: Park enhancements
Description: Many older adults in Mannington lacked affordable ways to stay active, with gyms and equipment out of reach for those on fixed incomes. The center installed outdoor fitness stations along a popular trail, adding options for strength and flexibility exercises in a safe, accessible setting. The project boosted motivation and social connection, helping residents improve balance and mobility. It also sparked plans to expand wellness programming and add equipment at the center, reinforcing a long-term commitment to healthy aging in the community.
Project description was created using generative AI and then reviewed for accuracy.
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Hauula, HI
AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2024
Project Category: Digital Connectivity for Disasters
Description: Older adults in rural coastal communities faced high disaster risk and limited ways to communicate during emergencies. The project installed Starlink satellite systems and solar-powered generators at key sites, hosted emergency prep workshops and adapted CERT training for older adults. Participants received To Go Bags and learned to create emergency plans, while weekly tech classes boosted digital literacy. Participants said a hurricane video was "the most powerful...they learned so much," and many now share skills with family, helping them feel safer and more connected during disasters.
Project description was created using generative AI and then reviewed for accuracy.
Kailua, HI
AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2021
Project Category: Public art installations
Description: Hearing and recording the stories of elders is an important part of Hawaiian culture. Students and staff from the Kailua Intermediate School honored this heritage by painting a large mural facing Kailua District Park. The project launched with a Huaka'i (field experience), during which people of all ages visited historically significant sites in the community. Learning about local cultural practices and values, students heard mo'olelo (stories) from kupuna (elders) They then shared the stories with their peers, who joined in to design and paint the mural.
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