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Plains, MT
AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2025
Project Category: Park enhancements
Description: Older adults in Plains needed low-cost exercise options, yet available facilities offered limited court space and few features designed for comfort or safety. The Plains Pickleball Association upgraded local courts with an equipment shed, benches, a windbreak and a paved walkway that created safer entry points and shaded places to rest. These additions also protected gear and improved access for players learning during beginner nights, where many older adults participate. The improvements encouraged more residents to stay active and socialize in a safe environment. Community members said the updates "provided the finishing touches," noting how the sheltered seating and stable walking surface made play more welcoming.
Eastport, ME
AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2018
Project Category: Park enhancements
Description: The City of Eastport wanted to give visitors to its new park an interactive, low-impact activity, suitable for people of all ages. So they installed a music part onsite. The space features several permanent, outdoor musical instruments, including a drum set and a yantzee and duet -- both of which are mallet instruments similar to a glockenspiel. The improvements are part of larger remediation efforts to transform a former landfill on Passamaquoddy Bay into Cony Park, a four-acre outdoor space.
Waycross, GA
AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2024
Project Category: Park enhancements
Description: To provide shade and create a comfortable gathering space, this project will add a covered gazebo and benches to a park, which is located near housing for older adults.
Nearby AARP Community Challenge Projects
Seattle, WA
AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2024
Project Category: Digital navigation skills
Description: This project will provide digital literacy classes to Latino immigrant workers. This will give lower-income residents access to computers and improve their technology skills, allowing them to access job opportunities.
Memphis, TN
AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2025
Project Category: Walk Audits
Description: The Works Inc. set out to improve walking conditions in South Memphis, where unclear construction messaging and unsafe crossings made it difficult for residents, including older adults, to navigate routes to Renaissance Pocket Park. The group led a walk audit and produced a findings report, partnering with Innovate Memphis to shape future audits and strengthen communication with city engineers. During the audit, participants learned how new bump outs, upgraded lights and multisensory pedestrian signals would support safer walking, easing concerns about construction. The project strengthened ties with Innovate Memphis and opened direct communication with City of Memphis Engineering, prompting plans for additional audits in South and North Memphis. A participant story about a confusing intersection highlighted how better information helped residents understand the long-term safety benefits of the upgrades.
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