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Macon, GA

AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2023

Project Category: Public safety interventions

Description: Uneven sidewalks and overgrown paths near two Macon schools made walking unsafe for students and older adults. The Path to Success project cleared 25 streets, removed over 100 bags of debris and launched a Walking School Bus for more than 100 children. Older adults joined walk audits and served as porch watchers, creating safer routes and stronger community ties. "It inspires school attendance and safety in our most vulnerable neighborhoods," said the project manager. The effort also influenced local violence prevention planning and sparked interest from other schools, positioning the program as a model for neighborhood safety.

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

Red Lodge, MT

AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2025

Project Category: Public safety interventions

Description: The project responded to long-standing accessibility challenges at the Roosevelt Center, where uneven ground kept many older adults from reaching the sculpture garden. The Foundation built a 128-foot pathway designed around existing sculptures, added interpretive panels and installed a durable paving system with help from volunteers. Some residents said they appreciated the effort to create safe outdoor access in an environmentally conscious way. The new route guides visitors to ADA entrances, supports rehabilitation activities for older adults and strengthens local walkability efforts.

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

Nearby AARP Community Challenge Projects

Tempe, AZ

AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2018

Project Category: Accessibility of amenities

Description: Over the years, Tempe has worked to become a dementia-friendly city. More than 1,500 of the city's residents have memory loss. To support these residents, the City hosts a weekly memory cafe. Caregivers can network with each other, and people exeperiencing Alzheimers and other forms of dementia can interact with each other and build friendships. Organizers hoped to make the building hosting the cafe more welcoming to participants. To do this, they improvided wayfinding onsite. The City installed signage with easily-understood icons, large print and high color contrast. The signs point people to classrooms, the onsite fitness center, the intformation desk and restrooms.

Tempe, AZ

AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2025

Project Category: Housing Choice Design Competitions

Description: High plan costs and confusing permitting kept many residents from building accessory homes that could support aging in place. Tempe ran a design competition that produced ten standard ADU plans, including accessible and small-footprint options prioritized in the criteria. Hundreds engaged through meetings, an open house and a public vote, and the city is preparing a handout to guide next steps. Staff expect more permit applications and will track how often winning plans are used, connecting homeowners with designers and lowering barriers over time.

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

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