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Muskogee, OK

AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2025

Project Category: Walk Audits

Description: The project will conduct three walk audits to document issues faced by walkers, wheelchair users, and people using canes. Two community meetings will discuss audit results to inform future planning.

Milwaukee, WI

AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2025

Project Category: Walk Audits

Description: This project will conduct four walk audits on streets leading to Jackson Park. Volunteers will audit, assess, and propose solutions with city and county officials.

Herington, KS

AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2024

Project Category: Walk Audits

Description: A neglected downtown pocket park lacked accessible seating, leaving older adults and visitors without a place to rest or connect with others. The VFW installed two benches and an ADA-compliant picnic table, which sparked a larger revitalization that added a drinking fountain and improved landscaping. The upgrades turned the park into a hub during the Old Fashioned Fall Festival and a meeting spot for residents. One older man said that he was very appreciative that the organization was stepping up and doing something to make the city more friendly for older adults.

Nearby AARP Community Challenge Projects

Montclair, NJ

AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2023

Project Category: Housing Choice Design Competitions

Description: Skyrocketing housing costs and property taxes left older adults with few options to remain in their neighborhoods. To address this, Montclair Gateway launched a design competition for accessory dwelling units (ADUs), drawing 31 submissions from architecture students. Six winning designs were exhibited publicly and added to an online resource library, giving homeowners practical plans for age-friendly housing. The effort sparked local ADU applications and informed state policy discussions. "We want to keep our elders close to us at this point in our lives and in their lives," said one homeowner.

Montclair, NJ

AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2024

Project Category: Digital navigation skills

Description: Older adults in Montclair faced digital literacy gaps that left them vulnerable during emergencies. The project trained 40 participants to use smartwatches for alerts, fall detection and SOS features, supported by peer navigators and additional equipment. A best practices report and an online video reinforced learning. Over 90% of participants rated the program "very beneficial", reporting greater confidence and awareness of life-saving tools. One trainee said smartwatch feedback "alerted me to a balance problem" and prompted her to seek professional help.

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