Syracuse, NY

AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2023

Project Category: Engaging residents in vibrant public places

Description: Older adults in six public housing buildings faced isolation and limited access to health and safety information. To bridge this gap, the Housing Authority equipped each community room with projectors, screens and accessories, enabling interactive events and educational programs. Kick-off sessions featured fraud prevention workshops and showcased the new technology. These upgrades transformed shared spaces into hubs for learning and social connection, empowering tenant associations to host health fairs, movie nights and presentations that help residents stay informed and engaged.

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

New Orleans, LA

AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2025

Project Category: Engaging residents in vibrant public places

Description: Older adults at the Estates community lacked a reliable place to learn practical skills, access health guidance and connect with neighbors, which contributed to missed services and social isolation. The Housing Authority of New Orleans renovated and reopened the community center, adding a computer lab, new furnishings and flexible space for classes and gatherings. The center began hosting healthy cooking demonstrations and prepared the space for digital literacy training, with resident support staff on site. The space quickly became a hub for meetings and activities, with plans for movie nights, bingo and intergenerational programs. A resident leader said she was happy with the space and plans to bring residents together, highlighting its role in supporting learning, connection and aging in place.

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

Honolulu, HI

AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2017

Project Category: Engaging residents in vibrant public places

Description: The Age-Friendly Honolulu initiative launched Kind2Kupuna, a public awareness campaign to help shops, restaurants, health care providers and other public-facing businesses better serve older adults. While preparing the campaign, Age-Friendly Honolulu found the most common complaints kupuna had about shopping were difficulties reaching items on shelves, poor customer service and employees failing to smile or not making eye contact. To address these issues, they created a poster featuring ten culturally appropriate tips, including start with aloha, be mindful of memory loss, step into their shoes and make it readable. "A workforce that is more aware and equipped to accommodate physical and cognitive changes with age will be better able to support older adults in many ways, both big and small," Hawaii Pacific University Vice President Sam Moku said.