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Indian Nations Council of Governments (2020) Print
2020 AARP Community Challenge Grantee
Project Category
Community Health and Economic Empowerment
└ Addressing community health
└ Addressing community health
Indian Nations Council of Governments partnered with a local bikeshare organization -- This Machine Tulsa Bikes -- to deliver food to homebound residents living in a food desert. Project organizers deployed flyers and postcards to spread word about the program. The grocery delivery boxes included fresh produce, meat, bread, eggs and other staples, with a focus on high-nutrition, low-sodium items. Project organizers hoped the pilot project would improve food access and strengthen community partnerships. Project organizers report recipients enjoyed seeing their groceries arrive by bike. They also say the project helped inform local grocery stores about the ways they can help residents access food, such as allowing people to order food by phone and stock curated boxes of groceries.
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Fairbanks, AK
AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2024
Project Category: Addressing community health
Description: Older adults who once grew large gardens for a local food program could no longer manage the work, reducing fresh produce for patients in the Food Is Medicine initiative. The Plant a Pot project supplied pots, soil and plants to 115 people, with volunteers helping them grow vegetables like broccoli and cabbage. Harvests supported the program and revived a sense of purpose for participants. Local service clubs also gained new energy and became more sustainable, with one member saying that the effort improved connections and generated stories of success.
Project description was created using generative AI and then reviewed for accuracy.
HI
AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2020
Project Category: Addressing community health
Description: At the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, Robin Bush stayed home, alone except for her cat. Fortunately, Bush and more than 100 additional kupuna (the Hawaiian term for grandparent or elder) found a way to develop intergenerational connections through Purpose Pals. A partnership between Hawaii's Afterschool Alliance, Age-Friendly Honolulu, Blue Zones Hawaii, and AARP, the program has matched more than 100 kupuna with young adults ages 18-24. The pairs socialize during regularly scheduled video and phone calls. The initiative takes personal interests, skills, life stories and experiences into account when making matches. Participants can then talk about anything, from favorite recipes to career advice to current events. "We looked for ways to promote social connectedness and, in particular, create a more age-friendly community by fostering friendships across generations," Purpose Pals organizer Christy Nishita said.
Southern Utah Navajo Reservation, UT
AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2020
Project Category: Addressing community health
Description: To combat food insecurity on the Navajo Reservation, Adopt-A-Native-Elder provided food assistance and firewood vouchers to hundreds of Navajo elders. The cash assistance helped older adults access healthy, culturally appropriate food, as well as fuel for heating and cooking. During the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Navajo Nation recorded the highest per-capita rates of infection and fatalities in the U.S. To help keep older adults safe, the organization also delivered medical supply boxes, which included personal protective equipment, such as face masks.
Nearby AARP Community Challenge Projects
Tulsa, OK
AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2024
Project Category: Community Gardens
Description: In North Tulsa, where grocery stores are miles away, older adults face tough choices between healthy food and essentials. The project expanded community gardens with raised beds and seating for easier access, plus a Monarch Waystation to support pollinators. Gardens produced fresh vegetables for residents and food festivals serving hundreds of households. The improvements strengthened intergenerational ties and inspired plans for day care partnerships. As one volunteer shared, gardening "helps with PTSD and allows me to get outside when I normally would stay in my house," showing the projects impact beyond nutrition.
Project description was created using generative AI and then reviewed for accuracy.
Tulsa, OK
AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2025
Project Category: Pedestrian Safety
Description: This project will enhance pedestrian safety and walkability in by improving crosswalks, adding directional signage, and incorporating street beautification.
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