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Southern Arizona Arts & Cultural Alliance (2020) Print
2020 AARP Community Challenge Grantee
Project Category
Community Health and Economic Empowerment
The Southern Arizona Arts Culture Alliance spearheaded a community-wide care package campaign, which provided hospital patients and residents of assisted living communities with creative experiences. The packages included DIY bookmarks and journaling kits, CDs with recordings of local musicians, coloring pages designed by local artists, greeting cards and jewelry making and craft activities. The organization created the packages in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, which put a pause to onsite arts and crafts activities. The Alliance delivered more than 1,000 packages to individuals receiving care at the partnering communities.
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Dutchess County, NY
AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2020
Project Category: Community Health and Economic Empowerment
Description: During the COVID-19 pandemic, many older adults faced social isolation. To address this, the United Way of the Dutchess-Orange Region enlisted local young people to write cards to homebound community members. The organization hosted several virtual letter writing parties. During the online gatherings, project organizers gave the letter writers tips for how to engage with older adults in daily life, such as how to check-in on a neighbor, help deliver groceries or offer to shovel snow. Volunteers then delivered the cards along with care packages containing essential items, such as hygiene kits and food. Even as the pandemic lifted, the United way has continued to host its letter writing parties with the goal of fostering intergenerational relationships and social connectedness.
Nearby AARP Community Challenge Projects
Tucson, AZ
AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2019
Project Category: Park enhancements
Description: City officials set out to revitalize the underused Francisco Elias Esquer Park, located around the corner from a large public housing community for older adults in Tucson's Barrio Blue Moon neighborhood. To address the needs of locals with disabilities, volunteers installed a wheelchair accessible walking path, benches and a dog comfort station for service animals. They also added passive water harvesting basins to draw birds, bees, butterflies and other wildlife. At a planting party for community members -- one of several events to publicize the new amenities -- neighbors spent a day digging in the dirt and enjoying a renewed sense of community.
Tucson, AZ
AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2023
Project Category: Housing Choice Design Competitions
Description: This project will develop a design competition to promote accessory dwelling units and create a model plan catalog featuring ADUs that support a variety of needs, including for older adults and multigenerational families.
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