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Walk Long Beach (2018) Print
2018 AARP Community Challenge Grantee
Project Category
Community Health and Economic Empowerment
└ Addressing community health
└ Addressing community health
During Walk Long Beach's inaugural Ranchos Walk -- a 9.4-mile hike -- more than 400 walkers laced up their shoes and strode along the city's high ridge. Event organizers set up temporary wayfinding signs and made improvements to a crosswalk to make it more visible. Meant to raise awareness about the benefits of walking for fitness and recreation, the event introduced participants to streets and neighborhoods that many had never seen before. Stretching from Rancho Los Alamitos in the southeast to Rancho Los Cerritos in the north, the walk's route showcased Long Beach's agricultural history: The area's two original ranchos date to the 1800s. Organizers initially anticipated half as many walkers to participate, but residents of all ages flocked to the challenge. In 2021, Walk Long Beach repeated the event with the theme of women in Long Beach history.
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Myrtle Beach, SC
AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2020
Project Category: Addressing community health
Description: Using public art, the City of Myrtle Beach set out to spread the word about safe walking and biking, as well as COVID-19 public health protocols. To do this, the City hosted a competition for local artists of all ages, inviting them to submit designs with a safety theme. They then selected 10 winning designs and added text with safety messages to them. With the state Department of Transportation's blessing, the designs became colorful, vinyl wraps for traffic utility boxes at intersections around town. Organizers say the project demonstrated the value of public art, with residents and business owners looking for ways to replicate the results in other neighborhoods.
Fairbanks, AK
AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2024
Project Category: Addressing community health
Description: Older adults who once grew large gardens for a local food program could no longer manage the work, reducing fresh produce for patients in the Food Is Medicine initiative. The Plant a Pot project supplied pots, soil and plants to 115 people, with volunteers helping them grow vegetables like broccoli and cabbage. Harvests supported the program and revived a sense of purpose for participants. Local service clubs also gained new energy and became more sustainable, with one member saying that the effort improved connections and generated stories of success.
Project description was created using generative AI and then reviewed for accuracy.
Caribou, ME
AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2023
Project Category: Addressing community health
Description: Caribou faced a hidden crisis of abuse of older adults, and volunteers were without tools to educate or intervene. The group built a multimedia toolkit with expert-backed content, video vignettes and safety features to guide prevention and reporting. The resource will be shared statewide and used in local programs, strengthening community capacity to protect older adults and empowering them to speak up and access help.
Project description was created using generative AI and then reviewed for accuracy.
Nearby AARP Community Challenge Projects
Long Beach, CA
AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2023
Project Category: Transportation Systems Change
Description: Older adults in Long Beach faced severe transportation barriers that kept many from medical care and social programs, deepening isolation after the pandemic. The Healthy Aging Center provided more than 1,000 free taxi rides for appointments, pharmacies and grocery trips, helping residents regain independence and reconnect with community resources. "This program brought me back to life... getting out of the house again after staying at home these past few years has been a blessing," said one participant. The service also improved compliance with health plans and sparked advocacy for sustainable transportation options.
Project description was created using generative AI and then reviewed for accuracy.
Long Beach, CA
AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2026
Project Category: Pedestrian Safety
Description: The project will add signs, crossings, seating and events along the Santa Fe Avenue corridor. These improvements will make walking safer and help residents reach food and community destinations.
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