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Noxubee County Historical Society (2022) Print
2022 AARP Community Challenge Grantee
Project Category
Public places
└ Public space activation
└ Public space activation
Older adults in Macon lacked a central space for civic engagement. To combat this, the historical society repurposed its Welcome Center into a community hub. The project added kitchen appliances and A/V equipment and hosted events like community town halls, workshops and holiday programs. Volunteers supported activities and outreach, helping attract hundreds of residents. As one board member shared, "AARP enabled the Society to broaden its perspective; welcome our entire community; and reach higher in its goals." The center now anchors inclusive gatherings and economic development efforts.
Project description was created using generative AI and then reviewed for accuracy.
Project description was created using generative AI and then reviewed for accuracy.
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Halstead, KS
AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2023
Project Category: Public space activation
Description: The Kansas Learning Center for Health addressed isolation and health disparities by creating a welcoming outdoor space in Halstead. Eight benches and four swings were installed in the community garden, fitness area and shaded historic corner, giving older adults safe places to rest and connect. Volunteers and residents age 50-plus added 20 colorful art pieces to concrete pads, turning the area into a vibrant destination. The project has boosted walkability and social engagement, with one participant noting, "I go walking daily and it has been a blessing to have places to stop and rest."
Project description was created using generative AI and then reviewed for accuracy.
Albuquerque, NM
AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2018
Project Category: Public space activation
Description: The weekly La Familia Growers Market in the Dolores Huerta Gateway Park provides South Valley residents with locally grown produce. To support the market's role as a culturally significant gathering space, project organizers purchased tables, chairs, a storage shed and cafe-style lights. They also procured materials to construct a horno -- a traditional outdoor oven made of adobe. Since then, the market has hosted free weekly musical performances and traditional cooking workshops, as well as the La Familia Growers Market Harvest Festival, attended by more than 500 people. In addition, project organizers conducted interviews with older community members - part of an oral history project.
Warren, OH
AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2023
Project Category: Public space activation
Description: For decades, a 135-acre abandoned hospital was neglected in a Warren neighborhood, leaving older residents without nearby green space. The organization engaged the community through meetings and canvassing. This led to the project that transformed the site into Riverside Park with a walking path, benches, picnic tables and a pollinator garden. Volunteers, nearly half age 50 or over, planted 100 trees, creating a space for exercise and social connection. Residents say the area feels "alive" again, and a neighborhood association now meets weekly to maintain the park, ensuring it remains a vibrant community asset.
Project description was created using generative AI and then reviewed for accuracy.
Nearby AARP Community Challenge Projects
Aliceville, AL
AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2024
Project Category: Access to high-speed internet
Description: Residents relied on an aging computer lab because many homes lacked internet, leaving older adults disconnected from essential services and job opportunities. The library upgraded its lab with 18 new computers, added three circulation desk systems and a laptop for presentations. They also scheduled classes tailored for older adults. The improvements enabled job fairs and streamlined service, while helping patrons gain confidence online. One older adult said she was thrilled to email friends and access social media, a change that strengthened her connection to family and community.
Project description was created using generative AI and then reviewed for accuracy.
Starkville, MS
AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2019
Project Category: Roadway/sidewalks/crosswalk improvement
Description: Community-based organization Keep Starkville Beautiful updated a busy transportation corridor to calm traffic, increase safety and make the area more pleasant. The organization repaired a crumbling retaining wall and added built-in planters and pollinator patch gardens. A local artist created a colorful pavement pattern in the intersection of Whitfield and Scales Streets. Keep Starkville Beautiful also made improvements to a bus stop, installing a new ADA-compliant seating and waiting area and adding an arbor framed by planters to provide shade. Local residents provided much of the labor for the upgrades during community work days.
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