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Met Cares Foundation (2021) Print
2021 AARP Community Challenge Grantee
Project Category
Public places
└ Public art installations
└ Public art installations
Until recently, Tulsa's Greenwood neighborhood was a food desert, with fresh and healthy food difficult to find. When the Oasis Fresh Market opened in North Tulsa, the Met Cares Foundation wanted to celebrate a healthier future. So they engaged the community to paint a mural for the new store. First, project organizers called on local students to create drawings celebrating the theme A Healthy Future for All Generations. Residents then voted on their favorite designs, selecting winners from elementary, middle and high school students. Finally, North Tulsa artists painted murals on the market's wall, using the students' designs as inspiration. Project organizers say the beautification effort allowed community members to depict a hopeful future for Greenwood. They plan to make the design contest an annual event.
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See More Projects Like This One
Prowers County, CO
AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2023
Project Category: Public art installations
Description: Rising energy costs and water shortages threatened a new community center in Bristol. The project installed a 10 kW solar system and expanded a sensory garden with ADA-compliant seating and QR-coded murals to educate visitors. These upgrades now power the center and garden, saving thousands in energy costs and freeing funds for programs that support older adults. The effort sparked interest in future solar projects and positioned the center as a model for sustainable practices in rural communities.
Waianae, HI
AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2020
Project Category: Public art installations
Description: Nonprofit organization Making Dreams Come True Valley of Rainbows beautified 24 traffic utility boxes along a stretch of Farrington Highway, decorating them with colorful mini-murals. Local artists chose themes for the boxes representing the beauty and culture of Hawaii's Waianae Coast, with imagery including ocean waves, sea creatures, and culturally relevant messages, such as Malama 'aime, which reminds Hawaiians to respect and care for the land. Project organizers said the utility boxes had been the target of vandalism in the past but hope the new artwork will foster community pride. "When you drive down Farrington Highway, you don't notice anything but maybe the houses and the beaches," artist Chris Koanui told HawaiiNewsNow. "But there's so much more, because these valleys are deep and rich."
Peoria, IL
AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2021
Project Category: Public art installations
Description: Organizers with Phoenix Community Development Services know supportive housing facilities for unhoused Peoria residents are often drab. To address this, the nonprofit -- which develops transitional apartment complexes -- created a three-story mural in an alley between an existing building and an upcoming facility. Apartment residents provided input on the mural's design and helped install the artwork, which is visible from one of downtown Peoria's major thoroughfares.
Nearby AARP Community Challenge Projects
Tulsa, OK
AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2024
Project Category: Innovative home maintenance, repair and support services
Description: Unsafe home conditions in Tulsa put older adults at risk of falls and loss of independence. The organization built 10 wheelchair ramps and installed grab bars in bathrooms, while volunteers replaced more than 100 lightbulbs to prevent hazards. These improvements allow clients to age safely in place and reduce fall risks. The project also set the stage for future home safety upgrades. One client shared gratitude after volunteers repaired a shattered storm door the same day, saying the quick response let him enter and exit his home safely.
Tulsa, OK
AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2025
Project Category: Park enhancements
Description: This project will install safe, accessible walking trails in Howard Park, providing a venue for older Southwest Tulsa residents to exercise and socialize.
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