Coos County, NH

AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2021

Project Category: Trails

Description: The Cross New Hampshire Adventure Trail is an 83-mile bicycle route that runs between Woodsville, N.H to Bethel, Maine. Stitched together from existing rail trails, dirt roads, and paved backroads, the route winds though scenic river valleys and around the slopes of the White Mountains. To make the route more welcoming to people of all ages and abilities, this project installed benches. Project organizers chose two ADA-accessible sections of the path for the new seating -- the Presidential Rail Trail and the Pondicherry National Wildlife Refuge. They enlisted the help of two llamas to haul lumber to several scenic spots, then volunteers worked to put the benches together onsite.

North Conway, NH

AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2023

Project Category: Lifelong housing and accessibility

Description: The Gibson Center and its partners hosted a Safe and Smart Home Expo to help older adults explore practical ways to age in place. The event featured the "Smart Home on Wheels" as well as demonstrations of adaptive devices, safety checklists and universal design concepts. Hundreds of visitors learned about affordable technology, with one exhibitor noting, "Visitors were excited to hear how affordable and easy to use smart plugs are." The expo sparked ongoing conversations about livable housing and inspired plans for future demonstrations.