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Town of Skowhegan (2024) Print
2024 AARP Community Challenge Grantee
Project Category
Public places
└ Public space activation
└ Public space activation
Older adults lacked safe, accessible walking routes to downtown and essential services, leaving them isolated and limiting recovery options for those prescribed walking for health. The town regraded the trail to meet ADA standards, added bench seating along a new retaining wall and installed underground utilities for future lighting. These upgrades created a defined, safer passage to the pedestrian bridge and nearby trails, improving access to the hospital, library and municipal offices. Footbridge use has already increased. "I was approached by several residents that expressed their gratitude... It was inspiring to know that what we were doing was making a difference," said a project lead.
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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See More Projects Like This One
Closter, NJ
AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2022
Project Category: Public space activation
Description: A barren alley in the downtown district left older adults without a safe, comfortable spot to rest while shopping or socializing. The borough converted the space into a pocket park with benches, plantings and solar lighting, creating a pleasant passageway between parking and local businesses. The park now hosts pop-up art events and serves as a meeting point for residents. "This charming pocket park provides respite for seniors and passersby to socialize, bringing the community together," said a local council member.
Project description was created using generative AI and then reviewed for accuracy.
Roswell, NM
AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2021
Project Category: Public space activation
Description: Roswell often experiences daytime temperatures well over 112 degrees Fahrenheit. The tourist town also welcomes more than 200,000 tourists each year. This project set out to help visitors and residents alike walk in downtown Roswell despite the brutal heat. Over the course of several years, Maitreet Roswell collected plastic bottle caps and container lids -- part of an effort it called Bottlecaps to Benches. Project organizers then sent a tractor trailer full of the caps to a recycling plant in Indiana, which sent back 30 benches made from recycled plastic. Maitreet Roswell then installed the benches throughout the town's commercial district, allowing pedestrians to sit and recover from the heat.
Center Harbor, NH
AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2025
Project Category: Public space activation
Description: The James E. Nichols Memorial Library addressed a lack of safe, accessible outdoor space for older adults near the town center. The closest park bordered a busy road and steep terrain, limiting use by people with mobility challenges. The project added accessible outdoor seating, shade umbrellas with chairs and upgraded security. Volunteers age 50-plus helped install the furnishings. The improvements increased outdoor social use and prompted plans for additional ADA-compliant access.
Project description was created using generative AI and then reviewed for accuracy.
Nearby AARP Community Challenge Projects
Pittsfield, ME
AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2024
Project Category: Walk Audits
Description: Pedestrian safety along the main entry corridor raised concerns for older adults who walk there regularly. To address this, volunteers age 50-plus joined two walk audits, sharing firsthand experiences and shaping recommendations presented at a community forum. The audits produced actionable ideas such as raised crosswalks and barriers, now under review for funding. The effort energized residents, including first-time civic participants, who continue advocating for safer streets.
Project description was created using generative AI and then reviewed for accuracy.
Vassalboro, ME
AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2024
Project Category: Community Gardens
Description: In rural Vassalboro, older adults lacked spaces for outdoor activity and fresh food access. The town created four raised garden beds and installed two benches, with volunteers and a local nursery providing soil and plants. The gardens offer a place for older adults to garden, socialize and learn, with plans for expansion and multigenerational programs. One veteran who lives in an apartment said he that was happy to participate in the project because he has no place to garden, and was excited to help encourage other older adults.
Project description was created using generative AI and then reviewed for accuracy.
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