Honolulu, HI

AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2017

Project Category: Inclusive public space improvements

Description: The Age-Friendly Honolulu initiative launched Kind2Kupuna, a public awareness campaign to help shops, restaurants, health care providers and other public-facing businesses better serve older adults. While preparing the campaign, Age-Friendly Honolulu found the most common complaints kupuna had about shopping were difficulties reaching items on shelves, poor customer service and employees failing to smile or not making eye contact. To address these issues, they created a poster featuring ten culturally appropriate tips, including start with aloha, be mindful of memory loss, step into their shoes and make it readable. A workforce that is more aware and equipped to accommodate physical and cognitive changes with age will be better able to support older adults in many ways, both big and small, Hawaii Pacific University Vice President Sam Moku said.

Flint, MI

AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2022

Project Category: Community Gardens

Description: The project recruited volunteers and installed raised beds at community gardens located at food banks and centers for older adults.

Pawtucket, RI

AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2019

Project Category: Public space activation

Description: To enable older adults to exercise, socialize and enjoy nature, Pawtucket's Division of Senior Services created an outdoor activity center at Leon Mathieu Senior Center. They installed seating, planters and two large outdoor tabletop game stations. Project organizers also created an age-friendly playground for low-impact exercise, adding fitness and recreational equipment. The Senior Center provides services and programs for adults 55 and older and aims to encourage healthy aging and keep older residents connected to the community.