Mulvane, KS

AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2024

Project Category: Walk Audits

Description: Poor sidewalks and crossings near local adult centers and the downtown area made walking unsafe for older adults in Mulvane. To address this, the foundation led walk audits, community meetings and mentorship sessions to identify hazards and propose solutions. Findings will inform the city's 10-year comprehensive plan and support grant applications for ADA upgrades and safer intersections. One volunteer called the experience eye-opening, saying she learned how audit data can drive funding and policy changes.

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

Wilmington, DE

AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2026

Project Category: Walk Audits

Description: Walk audits and meetings will focus on streets near housing for older adults and other gathering spaces on Wilmington’s West Side. Resident input will help prioritize improvements that support safe walking.

Choteau, MT

AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2025

Project Category: Walk Audits

Description: Older adults in Choteau often struggled to reach essential places because of uneven sidewalks, scarce curb cuts and hard-to-navigate intersections. City leaders often lacked data to address these daily obstacles. Walk audits invited residents to identify hazards and document heavily used intersections with the AARP Walk Audit Toolkit. Sharing results with the community sparked dialogue about challenges tied to reaching the post office, library and pharmacy. One participant described walking in the street during winter due to bad sidewalks, later saying she was grateful to have her experience recorded as part of a broader effort. The data is now informing planning discussions and future funding applications that aim to create safer routes and guide long-term improvements.

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