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StarkFresh (2023) Print
2023 AARP Community Challenge Grantee
Project Category
Community Health and Economic Empowerment
└ Addressing community health
└ Addressing community health
Alliance's food desert left older adults without nearby access to fresh groceries. StarkFresh opened a nonprofit store in an opportunity zone, creating local food access and jobs while offering SNAP produce discounts. The store's grand opening marked a permanent solution for residents who previously faced long walks to limited options. One customer shared, "This is perfect for my mother... she just has to walk across the street-it is very convenient for her."
Project description was created using generative AI and then reviewed for accuracy.
Project description was created using generative AI and then reviewed for accuracy.
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Roanoke, VA
AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2023
Project Category: Addressing community health
Description: Older adults in Roanoke lacked safe outdoor spaces for exercise and social connection, increasing isolation and health risks. The Local Office on Aging built an outdoor fitness area with specialized equipment, shaded seating and fall-resistant surfaces. The space now hosts balance workshops and social gatherings, helping older adults improve mobility and reduce isolation. Future plans include a paved walking track and volunteer-led sessions to guide equipment use. As one participant said, "This is a great need for our senior community, and I am looking forward to having a safe place to exercise with my friends."
Project description was created using generative AI and then reviewed for accuracy.
Denver, CO
AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2021
Project Category: Addressing community health
Description: There is no shortage of underutilized urban land in Jefferson, Denver and Boulder Counties and no shortage of residents in need of fresh fruits and vegetables. Established by a group of farmers, researchers, teachers, business leaders and activists, Sprout City Farms works to increase food access and community resiliency by farming unused plots within the region. This project jumpstarted monthly workshops designed to connect residents with the local food system, along with virtual events to introduce people to Sprout City's community farming model. Additionally, the organization provided fresh produce to community members through its pay-what-you-can farm stands. The nonprofit also donated its harvest to the OUR Center in Longmont, with supplied 300 households with fruit and vegetables each week. To reach residents in their neighborhoods, Sprout City's e-bicycle-powered Sprout 'n About veggie mobiles made deliveries of fresh produce.
Princeton, IL
AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2024
Project Category: Addressing community health
Description: In rural Illinois, thousands face food insecurity and limited access to books and art. Community A-to-Z responded by installing 26 Little Free Libraries, Pantries and Art Galleries across Bureau and neighboring counties, including local community centers and food pantries. Nearly half of volunteers were age 50-plus, and building days drew more than 100 visitors, sparking additional installations beyond this project. Older adults now use the libraries as destinations for walks and bike rides, forming new connections and reducing loneliness. With plans to grow to 4,050 units, the project created a lasting network that strengthens literacy and community ties.
Project description was created using generative AI and then reviewed for accuracy.
Nearby AARP Community Challenge Projects
Akron, OH
AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2021
Project Category: Accessibility of amenities
Description: Akron's North Hill neighborhood is home to many Asian and Pacific Islander immigrants and refugees displaced by famine and war. Many immigrant families rent garden plots at Akron Cooperative Farms, with multiple generations working together to grow produce. To better meet the community's needs, Asian Services in Action constructed an enclosed pavilion for the cooperative's neighborhood farmers market. Asian Services in Action partnered with TRY Ministries -- which provides jobs skills training to formerly incarcerated people -- and the City of Akron stepped in to lay a level, concrete floor for the space. Replacing tents, the pavilion offers vendors and shoppers protection from inclement weather, as well as shade on sunny days. This makes the market more accessible, giving allowing residents to purchase culturally important fresh vegetables, which are often unavailable at local grocery stores. Project organizers say the pavilion will also offer a venue for community events.
Akron, OH
AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2024
Project Category: Lifelong housing and accessibility
Description: Summit County's housing crisis leaves families and older adults spending much of their income on shelter, limiting stability and aging in place. Habitat began building Silver Maple Ridge, a 16-home development with features like single-story layouts and blocking for grab bars. The project engaged more than 400 volunteers age 50-plus and educated 32 partner families. Three homes were completed and three more nearly so, and the effort prompted Akron's first new park in 40 years, adding green space for residents while creating long-term affordable housing.
Project description was created using generative AI and then reviewed for accuracy.
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