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Baltimore, MD
AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2019
Project Category: Engaging residents in vibrant public places
Description: Sundays in the Street was originally a proposal to close two busy streets to vehicle traffic -- for only two Sundays each month. But after the COVID-19 pandemic shut down Baltimore, the car-free experiment became permanent. Project organizers set out bollards and large planters to block off two streets in the Fells Point neighborhood, turning the area into an open-air plaza. This created space for children to play, older adults to stroll and residents to gather safely. The site hosted outdoor dining, kids' activities and live music. Already underway in the spring of 2020, the initiative gave Baltimore a jump start and provided a model for other communities dealing with COVID-19 shutdowns.
Philadelphia, PA
AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2017
Project Category: Engaging residents in vibrant public places
Description: Among the goals of the Go, Go, Go: Making Our Community More Livable project was to enable Chinatown's residents to build friendships -- Go outdoors. Go be creative. Go make friends -- in a linguistically and culturally accessible way. One out of five Chinatown residents is an older adult and nearly 90 percent of those individuals have limited English proficiency. To help foster social connections, the Philadelphia Chinatown Development Corporation offered free art classes, with local artists serving as instructors. The organization then created a pop-up Chinatown art gallery featuring work created in the classes. In addition, PCDC founded a community garden club. More than 150 people ranging in age from 3 to 87 participated in the activities. The PCDC hopes to continue offering free community at its Crane Community Center, which broke ground in 2017 -- the first space of its kind in Chinatown.
North Conway, NH
AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2025
Project Category: Engaging residents in vibrant public places
Description: This project will enhance the library's meeting space with a working kitchen to support programs for older adults in order to combat isolation and improve access to nutritious meals for patrons age 50 and over.
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Nampa, ID
AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2024
Project Category: Lifelong housing and accessibility
Description: This project will renovate an affordable housing community for older adults, keeping rents affordable and allowing residents to age in place. Renovations will maintain common areas and upgrade building systems, such as plumbing, electrical and fire protection.
Caldwell, ID
AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2018
Project Category: Public space activation
Description: Organizers with Destination Caldwell think of Indian Creek Plaza like the front porch on a farmhouse -- a place for sitting and chatting with neighbors. The nonprofit hoped to activate the space with interactive outdoor games. They engaged residents to decoupage vintage photographs onto cornhole boards and piece together glass-mosaic tabletop gameboards for chess, checkers and backgammon. This project is part of larger efforts to bring public art to the plaza. Today, the game tables are available throughout the year.
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