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Opelika Main Street (2022) Print
2022 AARP Community Challenge Grantee
Project Category
Public places
└ Public space activation
└ Public space activation
Organizers with Opelika Main Street hoped to draw more visitors downtown. To do this, they activated an underused public space by adding outdoor games. Volunteers installed a giant, colorful chess and checkers set, suitable for people of all ages to enjoy. Organizers say the new game center represents a safe place for residents of all ages to gather.
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Cleveland, OH
AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2021
Project Category: Public space activation
Description: The May Dugan Center, which serves low-income older adults in Cleveland's Ohio City neighborhood, hoped to create a welcoming gathering space for its Seniors on the Move program. To make the Center's outdoor area accessible, organizers outfitted the space with four ADA-compliant picnic tables. Additionally, the Center provided program participants with herb garden kits, allowing them to create windowsill gardens in their homes. Ultimately, organizers hope experience tending the kits will help SOTM participants hone their gardening skills, which they will use to plant flower beds and raised vegetable plots at the Center. This project is part of the nonprofit's larger mission to help older adults manage their financial, physical and emotional wellbeing, allowing them to safely age in place.
Rugby, ND
AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2025
Project Category: Public space activation
Description: This project will enhance a park with seasonal decor, benches and a mural to create an appealing gathering space. These updates aim to make the area more walkable and inviting.
Logan, IA
AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2023
Project Category: Public space activation
Description: Older adults in Logan lacked safe outdoor spaces and reliable internet, often sitting on library steps to access Wi-Fi. The library addressed this by adding a covered gazebo, ADA-compliant picnic table and extended Wi-Fi outdoors. Volunteers, most age 50-plus, built seating and decorated the space, creating a welcoming area for gatherings. The project boosted visits and social engagement, with one resident mentioning that a project like this has long been overdue. Plans include adding solar charging stations and a community notice board to keep the momentum going.
Nearby AARP Community Challenge Projects
Camp Hill, AL
AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2023
Project Category: Community Gardens
Description: Camp Hill residents lacked access to fresh produce and safe spaces for exercise, leaving many older adults in a food desert. The foundation responded by building raised beds for a fall garden, installing fencing and creating a one-mile asphalt walking path. Volunteers planted greens that fed more than 200 people and added signage to make the space inviting. The project now serves as a permanent resource for healthy living and sparked plans for composting, marketing produce and adding a hoop house for year-round growing.
LaGrange, GA
AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2022
Project Category: Expansion and enhancement of transportation options
Description: West Georgia Star addressed the lack of public transportation in LaGrange by providing shuttle rides for older adults to grocery stores and doctor visits. The project also installed a community garden and hosted activities like bingo to foster social engagement. Volunteers supported transportation and garden construction, creating opportunities for fellowship and reducing isolation. These efforts improved mobility and laid the groundwork for future health clinics and expanded services, helping residents stay connected and active in a rural community with limited transit options.
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