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Albany, GA

AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2021

Project Category: Public space activation

Description: Many communities in Lee County lacked accessibility features and infrastructure to bring residents together. To address this, the Southwest Georgia Regional Commission installed recreational equipment, outdoor art and other amenities in several municipalities. In Albany, the Commission commissioned a large sculpture of a turtle to compliment the town's other public art installations. In Leesburg, it installed park benches and message boards in the community's nature park, which joined outdoor games and cedar benches purchased by the local housing authority. And in Thomasville, the Commission created a pop-up porch, which extends useable sidewalk space into on-street parking spaces. The portable porch can be transported, reconfigured and installed in different locations, allowing residents to gather for conversation and events. The popularity of the parklet inspired a local arts organization to install their own portable porches for its annual art exhibition.

Berea, SC

AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2020

Project Category: Public space activation

Description: Greenville County's Parks, Recreation and Tourism Department created a backyard space to the Berea Community Center. A new walking path loop connects the center to new amenities, with include swinging benches, horseshoe pits and a community garden space. The site also features improved landscaping. Project organizers constructed beds for the gardens at a variety of heights -- including three wheelchair-accessible pull-up beds -- to accommodate visitors of different ability levels.

Jackson, MS

AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2020

Project Category: Public space activation

Description: Part of wider efforts to beautify the South Jackson neighborhood, this project activated several vacant lots, turning them into community gardens, creative market spaces and pocket parks. The revitalization initiative also added seating and landscaping at a bus stop, painted a mural and made repairs to housing subdivision entrances. Community members volunteered to help with the efforts. In recent years, South Jackson has struggled with business closures and vacant housing. In a letter to the community, Coalition Executive Director Bennie Hudson wrote, We must do something about this for ourselves as elders and adults, but even more for our children and youth. In the future, project organizers hope to set up a homeowners association for the neighborhood to support ongoing maintenance and future improvements.

Nearby AARP Community Challenge Projects

San Juan, PR

AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2022

Project Category: Public space improvements to support recovery after extreme weather events

Description: This project provided emergency supplies, including a water tank, cots and first aid kits for the Tortugo community/barrio.

San Juan, PR

AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2019

Project Category: Entrepreneurship and improved economic resilience

Description: The Sila M. Calderon Foundation hosted 16 workshops with local entrepreneurs with the goal of strengthening small businesses, fostering job creation and increasing wages. The Foundation also offered technical assistance, hosted community outreach events and provided other resources. Thirty-five older adults completed the program and participating entrepreneurs received 119 hours of training from experts. Working with historically marginalized and underserved communities, the Foundation's mission is to achieve a more just and productive society in Puerto Rico by combatting poverty and inequality. Since 2018, the Foundation has helped create and support more than 650 small businesses and more than 1,000 new jobs.

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