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Chicago, IL

AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2019

Project Category: Roadway/sidewalks/crosswalk improvement

Description: To call attention to rough conditions on Chicago's sidewalks and bike routes, the Recyclery Collective commissioned local artists to fill in potholes with mosaics. Project organizers engaged the community to select each installation site. Not only do the colorful mosaics beautify the neighborhood, they also make the pavement easier to navigate. Organizers hope the project brings people together and demonstrates the importance of navigable streets and sidewalks.

Atlanta, GA

AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2019

Project Category: Roadway/sidewalks/crosswalk improvement

Description: The Atlanta Bicycle Coalition -- now called Propel Atlanta -- highlighted safety through temporary changes to a dangerous street. Through the years, Cascade Avenue has been the site of many accidents involving pedestrians. Project organizers increased the visibility of the street's crosswalks by adding splashes of color. They also deployed cones to make a wide lane narrower, demonstrating how street design can reduce driver speeds and increase pedestrian safety.

DeRidder, LA

AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2018

Project Category: Roadway/sidewalks/crosswalk improvement

Description: The City of DeRidder set out to improve walkability, allowing residents to reach cultural amenities and social opportunities on foot. They worked to install accessible sidewalks, paint crosswalk to make them more visible and add wayfinding signage downtown. The city's core is home to government offices, a public library branch, a theater and art gallery and a regular farmers market, as well as a pocket park and downtown pavilion.

Nearby AARP Community Challenge Projects

Heber Springs, AR

AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2023

Project Category: Addressing community health

Description: An aging electrical system threatened food safety and posed a fire hazard at the county's largest free meal site. Frequent breaker failures risked spoiling food for older adults who rely on hot meals three times a week. The kitchen replaced the outdated breaker box and 24 breakers, relocating the system away from a wet area to meet safety codes. This upgrade ensures stable power for cooking and cold storage, protecting food supplies and allowing the kitchen to continue serving thousands of meals safely for years to come.

Project description was created using generative AI and then reviewed for accuracy.

Heber Springs, AR

AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2024

Project Category: Addressing community health

Description: An aging HVAC system threatened the kitchen's ability to provide a safe, comfortable space for older adults who rely on free meals. The project installed a new 5-ton unit, ensuring reliable heating and cooling and positioning the dining room to serve as a warming and cooling center during extreme weather. This upgrade supports the largest free meal site in Cleburne County, which serves thousands annually. Plans to use the space as a winter refuge will offer critical relief for vulnerable older adults, helping them stay safe and connected during severe conditions.

Project description was created using generative AI and then reviewed for accuracy.

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