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Renton, WA

AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2017

Project Category: Engaging residents in vibrant public places

Description: To mark National PARK(ing) day, the City of Renton hosted a celebration downtown. Hoping to stimulate activity in the city's core and generate discussions about the use of public space, project organizers set up five parklets - small parks created in the footprint of street parking spaces. These became mini event spaces for the day, hosting live music, games of chess, interactive art projects, drum lessons, outdoor dining and people watching. Nonprofits and downtown businesses stepped up to host the parklets and event organizers passed out maps showing the locations of each parklet. To give visitors a reason to stroll the streets, the event featured vendor booths and food trucks. Organizers say the pop-up highlighted the need for downtown spaces for older adults to congregate. In 2020, lessons learned from PARK(ing) Day informed efforts to offer safe outdoor gathering spaces during the COVID-19 pandemic. And in the years since Renton has continued to celebrate National PARK(ing) Day.

Portland, ME

AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2023

Project Category: Engaging residents in vibrant public places

Description: The grant will fund a badminton league, disc golf practice sessions and chess and board-game events to help bring people together with fun activities.

Nearby AARP Community Challenge Projects

Pocatello, ID

AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2021

Project Category: Addressing community health

Description: Many low-income Pocatello residents have limited access to fresh fruit and vegetables. Growling Garden, a community-based organization that addresses food insecurity, worked to address this by providing families with raised garden box kits. Each family received a three-tiered garden box, seed packets, compost and trowels to help them plant a backyard garden. The project helped economically strapped families extend their food budgets and gain access to healthy produce.

Pocatello, ID

AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2018

Project Category: Engaging residents in vibrant public places

Description: Not every Pocatello neighborhood has its own public park or gathering space. To give residents a way to gather outside, NeighborWorks Pocatello created its Block Party Trailer. Equipped with folding picnic tables, chairs, cornhole games, an outdoor movie screen, collapsible garbage bins and more, the 22-foot trailer helps neighbors easily host block parties and other outdoor gatherings. This will help people not only get to know their neighbors, but also just get them out into their neighborhoods, Neighborworks Community Equipment Manager Lisa Smith said.

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