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SWTrails PDX (2024) Print
2024 AARP Community Challenge Grantee
Project Category
Transportation
└ Trails
└ Trails
Southwest Portland's lack of sidewalks forces older adults to navigate unsafe streets, limiting independence and access to essentials. To address this, SWTrails installed 55 new signs and replaced 196 damaged ones along its 46-mile volunteer-built trail network, making routes easier to follow. Volunteers, many age 60-plus, committed to ongoing maintenance, ensuring trails remain safe for walking and transit access. These improvements enhance mobility and reduce isolation for residents who rely on trails for daily travel. One user shared, "I now use these trails to get to my bus stop since there are no sidewalks in our area."
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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Bethel, VT
AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2018
Project Category: Trails
Description: Many amenities in Bethel are only accessible by car. To encourage active transportation instead, the Town created a path for walking, biking and cross-country skiing. The multiuse trail runs from the town's elementary school to the town's new outdoor recreation area. Organizers hope the new path helps residents reach several upgraded recreational facilities nearby, including a new pool house and skate park. Spurred by the pathway's popularity, the Town is exploring ways to construct connector pathways to expand the trail network. By encouraging people to walk, organizers say the multiuse path will support Bethels economy, connecting pedestrians to local businesses.
Litchfield, CT
AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2025
Project Category: Trails
Description: This project will install benches, bollards, and informational kiosks along a new trail connecting Litchfield and Bantam. These ADA-compliant features will enhance safety and accessibility for older adults and all visitors.
Gassaway, WV
AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2024
Project Category: Trails
Description: Older adults using the 73-mile Elk River Trail lacked safe places to rest, limiting their ability to enjoy long walks or bike rides. The need was clear when a man in his 90s built a makeshift seat to pause during his daily mile-long walk. Partnering with the state's natural resources division, the Foundation installed 13 benches across multiple trailheads. Volunteers poured concrete pads for durability. The benches have prompted a walking club and a second "first-day walk" event, encouraging regular activity. One participant said, "As I get older, I need a place to sit down and rest a while before I move on," underscoring the benefits of this project.
Project description was created using generative AI and then reviewed for accuracy.
Nearby AARP Community Challenge Projects
Portland, OR
AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2025
Project Category: Expanding HighSpeed Internet
Description: Community Partners for Affordable Housing set out to close a digital access gap for older adults living on extremely limited incomes. Many could not afford home internet or devices, so tasks like booking appointments, applying for benefits and staying in touch moved out of reach. Resident leaders flagged outdated computers and weak Wi-Fi in shared rooms as barriers. The project upgraded three properties with video-ready computer stations and secure, no-cost Wi-Fi, posted clear instructions and held on-site events where residents enrolled in skills training. The improvements let residents access services without leaving home and build confidence using online tools, supporting greater independence and connection.
Project description was created using generative AI and then reviewed for accuracy.
Portland, OR
AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2020
Project Category: Resources about housing options, safety and services
Description: Metro HomeShare created online outreach and educational training modules to familiarize community members with homesharing. The organization helps match homeowners with people looking for a shared housing arrangement. Making information about the benefits and compromises associated with homesharing virtual helped Metro HomeShare grow its program during the COVID-19 pandemic. Additionally, the shift to digital allowed the organization to move other aspects of its operations online, including outreach surveys, quality of life metrics and client match profiles.
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