Limestone, ME

AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2020

Project Category: Park enhancements

Description: Part of larger efforts to revitalize a public park, this project created a walking path. Volunteers installed the path, which winds around newly installed playground equipment, giving residents of all ages a space to exercise and socialize. Project organizers say they are considering ways to expand the pathway to more areas of the park in the future.

Haigler, NE

AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2022

Project Category: Park enhancements

Description: A pair of neglected tennis courts left residents without a safe space for recreation. The project cleaned and repaired the area, added basketball hoops, a tennis net and a pickleball court, and installed ADA-compliant benches and a community bulletin board. The revitalized courts now host multigenerational activities and complement wellness programs nearby. "I didn't even know what pickleball was, but you know what-let's try it," said one older resident, reflecting renewed enthusiasm for active living.

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

Oahu, HI

AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2021

Project Category: Park enhancements

Description: Kahuku Point is one of the few places on Oahu with an intact coastal strand habitat, which local organizations and volunteers are working to restore. To keep hikers on designated paths and prevent soil erosion, the North Shore Community Land Trust engaged more than 200 volunteers to plant native coastal plants and install fencing. The restoration project ensures a safe nesting habitat for at-risk and endangered animals, such as the Laysan albatross, green sea turtles, yellow-faced bees and Hawaiian monk seals. The habitat is crucial for the long-term survival of these species.