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Wild Rivers Habitat for Humanity (2020) Print
2020 AARP Community Challenge Grantee
Project Category
Housing
└ Innovative home maintenance, repair and support services
└ Innovative home maintenance, repair and support services
To help homeowners and renters maintain their homes, Wild Rivers Habitat for Humanity created a tool lending library. Volunteers constructed shelving to display a variety of hand and power tools, which library patrons can check out and take home. To increase residents' DIY know-how, Habitat also hosted a series of skills labs for residents. In the future, the nonprofit hopes to create a mobile version of the lending library to use throughout the community.
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Honolulu, HI
AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2021
Project Category: Innovative home maintenance, repair and support services
Description: Oahu is home to many older adults hoping to age in place. However, aging homes can make this difficult. Working with Palolo Chinese Home, Age-Friendly Honolulu created the Safe Homes 4 Kapuna program, which provides aging-in-place education, as well as home assessments and modifications, to older adults in the Palolo Valley neighborhood. The program produced print and electronic versions of a booklet, called Hale4Kapuna. The publication includes tips about renters' rights, permitting processes, funding sources and types of home modifications beneficial for older adults, as well as information on home assessments and basic handyman work. The group also provided home assessments to six older adults residing in the Palolo Valley.
Bethel, ME
AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2017
Project Category: Innovative home maintenance, repair and support services
Description: The Town of Bethel's Age-Friendly Community Initiative created four displays featuring adaptive tools, as well as a catalog with descriptions of each tools and information about where to buy them. One display has been deployed at community outreach events attended by hundreds of residents. Two others are available for nearby communities to borrow for their own events. A local hardware store provided a home for the third display to make adaptive tools available to Bethel residents. In addition, project organizers engaged an occupational therapist to conduct home assessments to help residents determine their risk of falls. Grant funds also supported the local smoke alarm installation and fire escape plan program, conducted in partnership with local fire departments and the Maine Red Cross, as well as the National Fire Protection Association's Be Safe in Your Home initiative.
Dalton, GA
AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2021
Project Category: Innovative home maintenance, repair and support services
Description: This project contributed to the City of Dalton Housing Authority's larger efforts to renovate its properties. The Authority hoped to give public housing residents more access to outdoor gathering spaces, so it installed picnic tables in several locations. To increase accessibility, organizers also provided ramps to residents unable to climb stairs. Finally, the Authority updated its laundry rooms. Project organizers say the improvements give residents updated, clean and safe areas to interact with each other, which helps combat social isolation and depression.
Nearby AARP Community Challenge Projects
Chilton, WI
AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2021
Project Category: Public space activation
Description: The Chilton Public Library was looking to expand its reach beyond the walls of the library building. To give residents an intergenerational activity, library staff installed two bilingual story walks -- one at Chilton Elementary School and the other outside a local nature center. Additionally, the library created two portable story walks, which staff can set up at community events and playgrounds around Calumet County. The walks consist of several display stations installed along a trail or path. Library staff display storybook pages in each kiosk, allowing families to meander along the trail, piecing together the parts of the story as they go. A team of volunteers maintains the story walks, which display books in Spanish and English.
Altoona, WI
AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2023
Project Category: Housing Choice Design Competitions
Description: The City will hold an accessory dwelling unit design competition to promote their use as a housing solution. The competition will include an open house and presentations of design concepts to help educate builders and the broader community about ADUs.
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