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Pittsfield, MA
AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2025
Project Category: Disaster Preparedness
Description: The City of Pittsfield Senior Center focused on helping older adults prepare for severe weather and power outages when many residents lacked clear emergency plans. The center delivered interactive preparedness workshops that paired practical guidance with personalized planning and starter emergency supply kits, reaching residents in housing communities, nursing homes and other local gathering spaces. The effort emphasized collaboration with local agencies to ensure information was accurate and accessible. The project strengthened community relationships and positioned the Senior Center as a trusted hub for emergency readiness. A key outcome was a formal evacuation partnership that designated the center as an evacuation site. One staff member said the work helped the center step beyond its walls and better support residents before the next emergency.
Project description was created using generative AI and then reviewed for accuracy.
Tucson, AZ
AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2025
Project Category: Disaster Preparedness
Description: Extreme heat poses serious risks for older adults who may not know how quickly heat stress develops. The Council held two trainings where attendees learned practical ways to stay safe, including early warning signs and low-cost cooling strategies, supported by materials from county health partners and the American Red Cross. Participants said they were thrilled to gain new guidance. The effort encouraged neighbors to share tips and allowed the Council to continue distributing remaining educational materials.
Project description was created using generative AI and then reviewed for accuracy.
Shelbyville, KY
AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2025
Project Category: Disaster Preparedness
Description: Older adults in the community often lacked clear plans for how to respond to severe weather and other emergencies. This left them unsure about evacuation steps, supplies and communication. Marnel C. Moorman Family Life Center addressed this gap through hands-on preparedness sessions that focused on practical planning, first aid basics and emergency alerts. Participants created personal emergency plans and received checklists, local contact information and preparedness resources they could use at home. The sessions also encouraged people to talk through plans with family and neighbors. This strengthened informal support networks. One participant shared, "I created an emergency plan, learned how to use my supplies and even helped my neighbor update theirs. I feel safer." By building skills and confidence, the project helped older adults take concrete steps toward being better prepared when emergencies occur.
Project description was created using generative AI and then reviewed for accuracy.
Nearby AARP Community Challenge Projects
Austin, TX
AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2025
Project Category: Public art installations
Description: Along one stretch of an urban trail, users encountered a space that offered little reason to stop, reflect or connect with the area's past. BikeTexas addressed this by installing a large, multi-panel mural that depicts the neighborhood's early railroad history and the people who shaped it. Community members, including older adults, helped review the design, and professional artists completed the work as a highly visible landmark along the trail. The mural turned an overlooked segment into a place where older adults can pause, walk more comfortably and engage with local history rather than simply pass through. It also added a shared point of interest that encouraged conversation and repeat visits. One trail user said the artwork brightened her regular walks and changed how the space felt, reinforcing the mural's role as a welcoming destination along the trail.
Project description was created using generative AI and then reviewed for accuracy.
Austin, TX
AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2020
Project Category: Engaging residents in vibrant public places
Description: Launched during the COVID-19 pandemic, Austin's Healthy Streets program closed streets to vehicle traffic in several residential neighborhoods. This enabled neighbors to go for walks and ride bikes without needing to dodge traffic. To help residents become advocates for slow streets, project organizers held online meetings with neighbor groups to teach them effective ways to share their opinions with City leadership. Local artists also created street murals to decorate the low-traffic spaces. This ultimately helped keep Healthy Streets alive -- the Transportation Department announced it would wind down the program due concerns about cost and staff capacity. But community advocates documented the benefits of the street closures and urged the city council to keep the project. In 2021, the council voted in to make the program permanent. Project organizers also created a report with best practices to help other communities replicate open streets projects.
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