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International Falls, MN
AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2024
Project Category: Digital navigation skills
Description: Older adults in rural Koochiching County lacked devices and digital skills, leaving them isolated from health care and social connections. The project offered free laptops and classes on basics and online safety, with additional laptops purchased for future sessions. Participants now use technology for telehealth, work and staying connected. One woman said, "Now more than ever, I need to be in contact with my friends... I video chat weekly and use my provider's online portal," explaining how her new laptop was vital after losing her son.
Project description was created using generative AI and then reviewed for accuracy.
Wells, NV
AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2022
Project Category: Digital navigation skills
Description: In rural Nevada, many older adults struggled with isolation and limited digital access, leaving them cut off from family and health care providers. To bridge this divide, the foundation installed laptops and tablets at centers in Wells and Carlin. It recruited local high school students to teach older residents how to use email, video calls and the internet safely. The sessions drew growing interest, with many reporting newfound confidence and eagerness to keep learning. The project not only built digital skills but also lasting connections between generations and within the community. One participant, after learning to use video chat for the first time, tearfully said she was "so happy" to finally see her granddaughter again.
Project description was created using generative AI and then reviewed for accuracy.
Portland, OR
AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2025
Project Category: Digital navigation skills
Description: Many older adults face barriers to using computers and the internet, limiting access to housing searches, job applications and everyday communication. Friendly House expanded shared computer access and offered hands-on technical help so residents could complete essential online tasks with support. The project added equipment to a community internet center, hosted digital skills classes and provided drop-in, one-on-one assistance. That personalized approach mattered. One participant said the tech helper was very patient and helpful, easing anxiety about asking for assistance. By reducing practical and emotional barriers to technology, the project strengthened ongoing capacity at the center. This helped older adults stay connected to resources, services and relationships that reduce isolation.
Project description was created using generative AI and then reviewed for accuracy.
Nearby AARP Community Challenge Projects
Denver, CO
AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2024
Project Category: Public or private transit access
Description: Older adults in Denver struggle with transportation and resource navigation, limiting independence and increasing isolation. DRMAC addressed this by expanding its Getting There Travel Training program, offering bilingual sessions and guided bus trips to teach trip planning, ticketing and mobility apps. Surveys showed that many participants felt more confident using public transit. The effort strengthened trust in marginalized communities and improved access to daily needs. One participant said that as a result of the help provided by the program, he is excited to now be able to attend spirit-lifting activities.
Project description was created using generative AI and then reviewed for accuracy.
Denver, CO
AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2025
Project Category: Walk Audits
Description: Older adults and people with disabilities in Denver face cracked sidewalks, missing curb ramps and unsafe crossings on the way to bus stops. Denver Regional Mobility and Access Council led a walk audit engaging 50-plus residents, including 28 older adults, to document hazards with a structured toolkit. One participant with limited mobility said they had avoided certain streets and felt hopeful that "real improvements could be made" once planners saw the data. The audit produced actionable findings for agencies to prioritize repairs and strengthened partnerships and advocacy so residents can press for safer walking routes to transit over time.
Project description was created using generative AI and then reviewed for accuracy.
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