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Jamel Gaines Creative Outlet Inc. (2021) Print
2021 AARP Community Challenge Grantee
Project Category
Community Health and Economic Empowerment
└ Activities that address social isolation and facilitate community connections
└ Activities that address social isolation and facilitate community connections
Organizers with Jamel Gaines Creative Outlet hoped to document the experiences of local African-American older adults during the COVID-19 pandemic. To do this, the Brooklyn-based danse and cultural institution launched its Wellness Works initiative. The outlet trained volunteers to conduct interviews using the StoryCorps model. Volunteers then interviewed more than 25 people from each of New York's five boroughs -- including their own grandparents. Information from the interviews helped shape local health policy, highlighting disparities in health care during the pandemic. Since the project concluded, organizers have continued to offer webinars and look for ways to preserve oral history.
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Wilmington, DE
AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2020
Project Category: Activities that address social isolation and facilitate community connections
Description: In March 2020, the Delaware Children's Museum closed its doors due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Ahead of Grandparents Day in September, museum staff developed a specialized online curriculum for grandparents (and the grand at heart -- those who aren't officially grandparents but serve the in the role). Project organizers distributed 300 You're Grand activity bags at the museum's drive-through and at a local community center. Each bag included instructions for remote activities for connecting with grandchildren online or over the phone.
Lebanon, NH
AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2024
Project Category: Activities that address social isolation and facilitate community connections
Description: Many older adults and people with disabilities in the Upper Valley felt excluded, with surveys showing low levels of belonging. To address this, SNSC partnered with 21 organizations to earn Disability-Friendly Certification and distributed 200 sensory toolboxes stocked with items like noise-canceling headphones and communication cards. Staff received tailored training to improve accessibility and inclusion. These efforts expanded welcoming spaces, raised awareness and strengthened community ties, aiming to reduce isolation and improve belonging for older adults and others with disabilities.
Albuquerque, NM
AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2021
Project Category: Activities that address social isolation and facilitate community connections
Description: The National Hispanic Cultural Center Foundation set out to expand its popular book club for older adults. The club features Hispanic and Latinx authors, often inviting the writers to participate in club meetings. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Foundation shifted the book club to a virtual format, which helped expand attendance to members living outside of New Mexico. During club sessions, participants held lively conversations and developed book reviews and discussion questions. Featured books include Argentinian writer Selva Almada's novel, The Wind that Lays Waste and Maria Hinojosa's Once I Was You: A Memoir of Love and Hate in a Torn America. Project organizers say the club's success has inspired them to expand programming related to literature and history. Feedback gathered from book club participants will help inform these plans.
Nearby AARP Community Challenge Projects
New York City, NY
AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2024
Project Category: Walk Audits
Description: Older adults faced daily risks along Canal Street, where speeding traffic and missing curb cuts made crossing dangerous. To address this, the group led four walk audits and three meetings with more than 100 participants, identifying urgent fixes like leading pedestrian intervals and improved visibility. The effort produced advocacy letters to community boards and influenced DOT's planned redesign, which includes raised crosswalks and speed reductions. One participant said, "I've witnessed multiple crashes... More greenery, slower speeds and safety at the bridge entrance would make it safer for everyone."
New York, NY
AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2022
Project Category: Accessory dwelling units, tiny homes and manufactured housing
Description: Long Island's housing shortage leaves older adults struggling to stay near family. Regional Plan Association produced videos showing how accessory dwelling units (ADUs) can help, featuring residents who rely on ADUs to age in place or support loved ones. The stories, shared with housing advocates, fueled a statewide coalition and informed proposals like the New York Housing Compact. "We've enjoyed living in an ADU at our daughter's house... but now face incredible uncertainty," said one couple, underscoring the urgency for flexible housing options.
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