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Brookings, OR
AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2025
Project Category: HomeFit Modifications
Description: Ruths Eye of the Storm addressed home safety risks faced by older adults, including survivors of domestic abuse, who were struggling to remain safely housed due to small but serious hazards inside their homes. Limited mobility, fear of approaching landlords and lack of awareness about affordable modifications made everyday conditions more dangerous. The project organized educational and demonstration events that connected older adults with simple safety solutions and trusted community partners. Participants received items such as lighting, nonskid materials and pathway supports, along with follow-up home walkthroughs to identify and address additional risks. In several cases, the work led to direct, individualized interventions that resolved urgent problems, including restoring safe access to water and bathroom facilities. One participant, after critical repairs were completed, described the impact plainly: "This is what dignity looks like."
Project description was created using generative AI and then reviewed for accuracy.
Jacksonville, FL
AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2025
Project Category: HomeFit Modifications
Description: The Arc Jacksonville focused on reducing fall risk and safety hazards that can quickly undermine independence for older adults with intellectual and developmental differences. As vision changes and mobility challenges made familiar homes feel unpredictable, caregivers and staff needed practical ways to adapt living spaces. The project delivered five hands-on trainings for direct support professionals, family caregivers, managers and residents, combining walk-through home assessments with guidance from the HomeFit guide and a low-vision session led by an occupational therapist. Equipment was added to improve lighting, visibility and stability in several homes. One resident with significant vision loss regained confidence moving through his home and returned to daily routines. Staff now carry repeatable assessment skills into ongoing training, strengthening the long-term capacity of community homes to support older adults safely and with dignity.
Project description was created using generative AI and then reviewed for accuracy.
Wayland, MA
AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2024
Project Category: HomeFit Modifications
Description: Many older adults wanted to age in place safely but lacked guidance on home modifications to prevent falls. The Council hosted three workshops on aging in place and home safety, recorded sessions for cable TV and distributed 100 motion-sensing night light sets. It also installed grab bars in five homes through a pilot program. These efforts increased awareness, reduced fall risks and gave older adults confidence to remain in their homes, prompting plans for future workshops and ongoing educational programming.
Project description was created using generative AI and then reviewed for accuracy.
Nearby AARP Community Challenge Projects
Middlebury, VT
AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2021
Project Category: Public art installations
Description: To make Middlebury's downtown more vibrant, Find Your Wings launched a public art initiative to increase community engagement. The organization engaged local artists who worked with residents to create eight sets of wings. To include as many community members as possible, they distributed art kits to homebound residents, schools and senior living facilities, who sent their creations back to the artists. Each set of wings is unique -- one consists of painted plywood feathers, another parrots a monarch butterfly's wings, while a third turns random household objects into musical instruments for passersby to strike. Installed throughout downtown, the installations invite pedestrians to pose and snap selfies. Project organizers say the placemaking effort is meant to foster a sense of belonging and boost the local economy.
Poultney, VT
AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2025
Project Category: Improved wayfinding
Description: This project in support of the Poultney River Loop will enable the creation of new maps, kiosks, wayfinding posts and blazes to enhance navigability. These improvements aim to create a safer and more inclusive trail experience.
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