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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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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.
Banner Elk, NC
AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2023
Project Category: Innovative home maintenance, repair and support services
Description: The project will work with local social service agencies to identify older adults whose homes are in need of repairs or aging-in-place modifications. Young volunteers who are being trained at home repair camps will perform the improvements.
St. Petersburg, FL
AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2019
Project Category: Innovative home maintenance, repair and support services
Description: The Dream Center works with low-income families throughout Pinellas County, focusing on improving safety and livability for older adults in their homes. This project made home repairs and accessibility modifications to 25 houses, including widening doors and installing grab bars, chair lifts, wheelchair ramps, handrails and toilet seat lifts. Project organizers say these repairs shielded families from facing potentially expensive fines for code violations. The Dream Center also provided food assistance and hygiene items to older adults. Today the Center continues to provide home modification assistance through its Adopt A Block program.
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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