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Lifelong Richmond (2024) Print
2024 AARP Community Challenge Grantee
Project Category
Public places
└ Public space activation
└ Public space activation
Richmond's Main Street offered no seating, making uphill walks difficult for older adults and limiting social interaction. After preparing the site, Lifelong Richmond installed seven benches with volunteer support, creating safe resting spots near shops and the library. The benches quickly became gathering places for errands and events, reducing isolation and encouraging outdoor activity. Residents praised the change during the town's holiday celebration, and officials plan to add more benches to expand access.
Project description was created using generative AI and then reviewed for accuracy.
Project description was created using generative AI and then reviewed for accuracy.
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Buffalo, WY
AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2024
Project Category: Public space activation
Description: Hundreds of veterans' graves in Johnson County lacked markers, leaving families without visible recognition of service. Volunteers from the American Legion and VFW installed more than 375 durable metal markers across three cemeteries, assembling and placing them over summer and fall. The markers provide lasting tribute, ensuring families can honor veterans for decades. Volunteers described the work as extremely meaningful, recalling names and memories while walking the grounds. The group plans to continue adding markers as needed.
Project description was created using generative AI and then reviewed for accuracy.
Veneta, OR
AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2021
Project Category: Public space activation
Description: During the COVID-19 pandemic, staff at the Fern Ridge Public Library were determined to offer a safe outdoor space for residents to congregate. When a large, centuries-old Heritage Oak tree fell on library grounds, they took the opportunity to construct a courtyard, enlisting local artists to create benches from the tree's wood. To make the space inviting, volunteers planted native Oregonian plants and laid down gravel to create an accessible pathway. What had been a weed-covered yard became a peaceful seating area for casual meetings, quiet reading and public performances.
Springfield, MO
AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2021
Project Category: Public space activation
Description: In the 1980s, many businesses moved out of Springfield's downtown. But in recent years, a new generation of entrepreneurs, artists and gig workers have begun repopulating the city's main commercial district. In light of the area's new vibrancy, the Commercial Street Community Improvement District is working to market the area and tell its story. The CID created a series of parklets with outdoor seating to give visitors a space to socialize and relax. They also commissioned a local artist to create a mural, using community feedback to inform the final design. The mural fits within a larger street art project. CID organizers say they hope these improvements will help the community develop a renewed sense of place.
Nearby AARP Community Challenge Projects
Bowdoinham, ME
AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2017
Project Category: Community Gardens
Description: The Town of Bowdoinham provided elevated planters to six residents who, because of disabilities, could not maintain traditional, in-the-ground gardens. Members of the local Masons Lodge constructed the raised beds and delivered soil to each recipient. To showcase the planters, the Town hosted a community meal featuring local produce, which included a presentation about the benefits of raised beds. In addition, the Town founded a garden club, which meets monthly.
Bowdoinham, ME
AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2023
Project Category: Lifelong housing and accessibility
Description: Facing a shortage of accessible housing, the town created a plain-language guide to promote Universal Design-an approach that makes homes safer and easier for all ages. The 12-page brochure explains practical ideas for remodeling and new construction, from lever-style door handles to first-floor accessible baths. Older residents shared stories and feedback during development, ensuring relevance. Distributed at community events and local businesses, the guide is shaping housing conversations and influencing future plans. One resident noted it offers "simple and often inexpensive ways" to make homes welcoming for everyone.
Project description was created using generative AI and then reviewed for accuracy.
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