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Long Beach, CA
AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2018
Project Category: Addressing community health
Description: During Walk Long Beach's inaugural Ranchos Walk -- a 9.4-mile hike -- more than 400 walkers laced up their shoes and strode along the city's high ridge. Event organizers set up temporary wayfinding signs and made improvements to a crosswalk to make it more visible. Meant to raise awareness about the benefits of walking for fitness and recreation, the event introduced participants to streets and neighborhoods that many had never seen before. Stretching from Rancho Los Alamitos in the southeast to Rancho Los Cerritos in the north, the walk's route showcased Long Beach's agricultural history: The area's two original ranchos date to the 1800s. Organizers initially anticipated half as many walkers to participate, but residents of all ages flocked to the challenge. In 2021, Walk Long Beach repeated the event with the theme of women in Long Beach history.
Myrtle Beach, SC
AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2020
Project Category: Addressing community health
Description: Using public art, the City of Myrtle Beach set out to spread the word about safe walking and biking, as well as COVID-19 public health protocols. To do this, the City hosted a competition for local artists of all ages, inviting them to submit designs with a safety theme. They then selected 10 winning designs and added text with safety messages to them. With the state Department of Transportation's blessing, the designs became colorful, vinyl wraps for traffic utility boxes at intersections around town. Organizers say the project demonstrated the value of public art, with residents and business owners looking for ways to replicate the results in other neighborhoods.
Fullerton, CA
AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2022
Project Category: Addressing community health
Description: Low-income older adults in Fullerton lacked access to fitness resources. The project activated outdoor exercise equipment in four parks and offered twice-weekly training sessions to help participants feel confident using the gear. Instructors guided participants in setting wellness goals and managing chronic conditions. A community garden added fresh produce to the mix. An organizer noted that the project met its original goals, and future plans include expanding classes and adding garden plots near local centers.
Project description was created using generative AI and then reviewed for accuracy.
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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