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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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Clearwater, FL
AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2024
Project Category: Addressing community health
Description: Many older adults in Pinellas County face food insecurity and lack access to nutritious meals due to transportation barriers and limited cooking facilities. To address this, 360 Eats purchased commercial freezers and refrigerators and expanded storage for rescued food. This enabled its mobile kitchen to deliver over 1,300 chef-prepared meals to older adults at six sites. The upgrade also supported pop-up meal service for hurricane-displaced residents. The project improved health and reduced isolation by bringing meals directly to older adults. One recipient said, "You're really giving us what we need: a real meal," and noting how important nutrition is to him.
Tallahassee, FL
AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2023
Project Category: Addressing community health
Description: Older adults in rural north Florida often lack affordable estate planning, leaving property titles unresolved and families vulnerable to losing homes or generational wealth. ARPC hosted five legal clinics where about 200 participants learned about wills, health care directives and powers of attorney. Thirteen began drafting documents, and others left with resources to seek free legal help later. The effort reduced risks tied to heirs' property and sparked interest from other regions to replicate the model. One attendee said she was "relieved to finally have legal documentation with her wishes."
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.
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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.
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