Mendocino County, CA

AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2023

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

Description: Severe storms and wildfires often leave this rural coastal community without power for days, cutting off phone access during emergencies. To keep residents connected, volunteers distributed 70 solar-powered chargers with built-in lights and multi-device capability, working through the local adult center to reach those most at risk. Outreach included newspaper coverage and a planned radio interview to raise awareness. The project strengthened emergency preparedness for older adults and sparked plans to secure more units, reinforcing resilience in a region vulnerable to prolonged outages.

Project description was created using generative AI and then reviewed for accuracy.