Fort Pierce, FL

AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2020

Project Category: Access to health care services

Description: To help older adults access resources during the COVID-19 pandemic, the Fort Pierce Police Department provided Chromebook laptops to residents of a historically underserved neighborhood. Police staff worked one-on-one with recipients, showing them how to access their entitlement benefits online. Additionally, they taught community members how to order food and necessities online and demonstrated how to avoid internet scammers. To ensure safe social distancing, the training workshops took place outdoors. Five older adults who received the computer training went on to use their new skills as volunteers, helping local children with homework and remote learning.

Rockledge, FL

AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2024

Project Category: HomeFit Modifications

Description: Older adults in Rockledge faced trip hazards, poor lighting and hard-to-use fixtures, making daily life unsafe and independence difficult. Specialists assessed homes and completed modifications for 17 participants, installing grab bars, high-rise toilets, non-skid rugs and improved lighting. Outreach reached 68 residents and raised awareness of home safety. These changes helped older adults remain in their homes with confidence and spurred plans for a long-term program. One woman said her home feels "much safer" after upgrades like a deadbolt lock and task lighting, showing how small fixes can transform security and usability.