Fairview Park, OH

AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2025

Project Category: Public space improvements to increase highspeed internet

Description: City of Fairview Park addressed barriers to medical access for older adults who faced transportation challenges and limited comfort with digital tools. The local Senior Center created a private telemedicine station with reliable internet, computers and privacy features. This was paired with hands-on support from staff and volunteers to help residents understand virtual visits and use the technology with confidence. The station allowed older adults to connect with providers from a familiar setting, reducing travel and wait times while supporting ongoing digital literacy. Early use showed immediate value. One participant said after her first visit, "She was so happy to speak with her doctor without having to sit in a waiting room... the appointment time started exactly on time." The project strengthened the Senior Center's role as a long-term hub for digital health care access and support.

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

Cleveland, OH

AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2021

Project Category: Public space activation

Description: The May Dugan Center, which serves low-income older adults in Cleveland's Ohio City neighborhood, hoped to create a welcoming gathering space for its Seniors on the Move program. To make the Center's outdoor area accessible, organizers outfitted the space with four ADA-compliant picnic tables. Additionally, the Center provided program participants with herb garden kits, allowing them to create windowsill gardens in their homes. Ultimately, organizers hope experience tending the kits will help SOTM participants hone their gardening skills, which they will use to plant flower beds and raised vegetable plots at the Center. This project is part of the nonprofit's larger mission to help older adults manage their financial, physical and emotional wellbeing, allowing them to safely age in place.