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Charlotte, NC
AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2026
Project Category: Engaging people in transportation options/safety
Description: The program will teach adults age 50-plus how to use public transit through hands-on workshops and guided practice rides. Participants will learn routes, fares and safety skills to travel more confidently and independently.
Sioux Falls, SD
AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2025
Project Category: Engaging people in transportation options/safety
Description: Open Streets 2025 responded to gaps in walkability that left many older adults without safe or comfortable ways to move through downtown. The project transformed underused corridors into pedestrian-friendly spaces with accessible seating, slower-paced activities and cultural programming that encouraged people to linger and explore. These events supported older adults by creating calmer routes, offering performances suited to their pace and helping them connect with local businesses. The series also prompted installation of a new crosswalk near a previously inactive area, showing how temporary activations can influence long-term planning. A July 4th event, where volunteers served watermelon slices, showed how simple shared experiences helped strangers connect, break down social barriers and feel welcomed. Many older adults reported walking more and discovering new places, reinforcing how small design changes can create meaningful improvements in daily life.
Project description was created using generative AI and then reviewed for accuracy.
Austin, TX
AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2024
Project Category: Engaging people in transportation options/safety
Description: Older adults in Austin faced mobility challenges and rising isolation, often relying on costly ride-hailing or limiting outings. Movability hosted Mobility Camps and Lunch & Learns where participants practiced using buses, learned trip-planning apps and enrolled in reduced-fare programs. Participants received toolkits and hands-on experience with transit and carpooling. One camp took participants to the historic Driskill Hotel, where they shared holiday photos and made new friends. Participants report feeling more confident using transit for errands and appointments.
Project description was created using generative AI and then reviewed for accuracy.
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Saint Paul, MN
AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2020
Project Category: Resources about housing options, safety and services
Description: To support its efforts advocating for housing justice in St. Paul's East Side, the East Side Freedom Library hired a program director, expanded its volunteer base and recruited and trained interns. The organization also hosted events focused on tenants' rights -- as well as a local housing summit -- and conducted a survey of older adults' housing needs. Project organizers say these actions helped increase community support for the Library's advocacy and allowed it to expand its policy work.
Saint Paul, MN
AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2020
Project Category: Park enhancements
Description: After a survey of North End residents revealed a need for additional seating in the Trout Brook Nature Sanctuary, the District 6 Planning Council installed benches along the site's accessible walkways. A local artist designed each bench to depict colorful animals, including a blue and orange turtle, a bright orange otter, a red rabbit and a yellow and green frog. Project organizers say they hope to give visitors a place to rest, enjoy the outdoors and make social connections.
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