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Peninsula Volunteers Inc. (2022) Print
2022 AARP Community Challenge Grantee
Project Category
Transportation
└ Expansion and enhancement of transportation options
└ Expansion and enhancement of transportation options
Many older adults in the Bay Area say transportation is the biggest challenge they face. Those who cannot drive themselves risk missing medical appointments or increasing their social isolation. To address this, Peninsula Volunteers developed a transportation program that offers low cost, on-demand rides for older adults. This project expanded that program to reach residents living throughout San Mateo and Santa Clara counties. PVI provided hundreds of rides, helping residents attend doctors' appointments, do shopping and errands and participate in activities at local community centers. Additionally, the nonprofit held two workshops to teach older adults about transportation services available to them. "It makes me feel independent now. I go food shopping weekly now and that's helped immensely," one program participant said. "Sometimes I was going two whole days without eating anything because I didn't have any food in the house and I didn't want to beg for help from anyone."
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See More Projects Like This One
Des Moines, IA
AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2022
Project Category: Expansion and enhancement of transportation options
Description: Older adults in central Iowa faced isolation and missed appointments because they lacked affordable, on-demand transportation. The project funded over 800 rides through a call-center program that let riders book ride-hailing trips without a smartphone. Trips included medical visits, grocery runs and social outings, helping participants stay connected and independent. One rider shared, "it makes us very happy to see each other!" after using the service to visit a lifelong friend in a care facility.
Project description was created using generative AI and then reviewed for accuracy.
Washington, DC
AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2026
Project Category: Expansion and enhancement of transportation options
Description: Targeted outreach will expand awareness of a coordinated senior transportation service across Washington neighborhoods. Better connections will help more older adults reach food, services and activities.
Washington, DC
AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2025
Project Category: Expansion and enhancement of transportation options
Description: Many older adults with limited mobility struggle to reach affordable food, health services and social activities without reliable transportation. Seabury Resources for Aging expanded shuttle service focused on food access, offering regular group trips to community food markets and affordable grocery stores. The predictable rides allowed older adults to shop for foods they prefer while traveling with peers. Partner sites described the shuttle as essential, noting that these outings are the only way some older adults are able to leave their homes. By restoring routes and strengthening partnerships, the project reduced isolation and laid groundwork for sustained, older-adult-focused transportation that supports independence over time.
Project description was created using generative AI and then reviewed for accuracy.
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Menlo Park, CA
AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2026
Project Category: Disaster Resilience Other
Description: Disaster kits and preparedness education will be delivered through home meal programs. Ongoing check-ins will reinforce readiness and peace of mind.
San Jose, CA
AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2021
Project Category: Public space activation
Description: The COVID-19 pandemic severely impacted the local economy in San Jose's Washington neighborhood. To help meet the community's needs, Veggielution hosted free arts and environmental education programming. The local nonprofit, which aims to connect people through food and farming, invited people to the SoFa pocket park, which the organization created on the site of an underused parking lot. Events included a monthly garden art workshop and live musical and theater performances by local arts organizations. Additionally, Veggielution worked with a local arts school to create a mural for the pocket park. The activities helped link residents to resources, such as food assistance and entrepreneurship training, and connected local nonprofit organizations to each other, creating a better web of support for the community.
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