Nearby AARP Community Challenge Projects

Rochester, MN

AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2021

Project Category: Public space activation

Description: After the City of Rochester cut its parks and recreation budget during the COVID-19 pandemic, many small parks in Rochester fell into disrepair. To address this, Family Service Rochester improved a pocket park in the City's Friendship Park neighborhood, a diverse, low-income area of the city. This project added new trees, benches and a multilingual information kiosk. A volunteer team dug holes, planted, watered and staked trees. Others chipped in to keep the park free of litter. Organizers say the project demonstrated that residents will invest their time to improve their neighborhood. After the project's completion, volunteers from the initiative were inspired to improve other parks in the area.

Brainerd, MN

AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2021

Project Category: Expansion and enhancement of transportation options

Description: Many older adults in central Minnesota are unaware of their public transit options or lack information on how to use them. Organizers with the Region Five Development Commission set out to expand transportation access, while also combatting social isolation. The Commission, which serves Cass, Crow Wing, Morrison, Todd and Wadena Counties, produced How to Ride the Bus videos with information specific to each county. They also distributed transit passes to older adult residents. Additionally, the Commission provided fitness club memberships to residents interested in improving their physical and mental fitness.

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AARP has offices in all 50 states as well as in the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands.

AARP Minnesota State Office

1919 University Avenue
Suite 500
St. Paul, MN 55104
United States

Phone: 866-554-5381
Fax: 651-221-2636
Email: [email protected]