AARP Hearing Center
AARP Livable Communities
The following resources — which were provided by the workshop's invited guests as supplements to their presentations and panels — are listed in alphabetical order according to organization name.
AARP Disrupt Aging
Description: Disrupt Aging® is a global movement that's shaping the future of aging by challenging outdated beliefs about what it means to get older and sparking new solutions so people can choose how to live as they age.
Contributor: Bob Hoffman, AARP Volunteer, Engagement Workshop Committee Member
AARP Illinois
Description: Broadcast on Spotify and hosted by Bob Gallo and Rosanna Marquez of AARP Illinois, this program spotlights extraordinary Illinoisans age 50-plus who are giving back to their communities in meaningful ways.
Contributor: Bob Gallo, State Director, AARP Illinois
AARP International
Description: Espacio Lúdico, a nongovernmental organization in Santiago, Chile, uses games and play to engage the public in planning open spaces.
Contributor: Stephanie Firestone, Senior Strategic Policy Advisor, AARP International
Cities of Service
Download A Practical Guide to Engaging Volunteers Aged 50+ Online, a free publication that can help practitioners assess the issues they want to address with residents, deliberate with the community, and take action and sustain communication.
AARP Livable Communities
Description: A major challenge for livability initiatives is how to help community members connect despite their differences of (to name just a few characteristics) age, race, religion, ethnicity, education, income, health, household composition, length of residency, political views and lifestyle. Interactive, improvisational theater — in which performers act out real-life scenarios and then enlist the audience's help in finding solutions — is a time-tested tool for resolving conflicts, facilitating change and building resilience.
Contributor: Melissa Stanton, Editor/Senior Advisor, AARP Livable Communities
AARP North Carolina
Description: The John N. Smith Cemetery is a not-for-profit outdoor space that has been a community icon since it was established in 1880, when the trustees of an African American Methodist Church purchased land for the sole purpose of making it a graveyard. Among the more than 1,725 graves are those of African American enslaved people, farmers, teachers, businessmen, laborers, domestic servants, homemakers and veterans dating from the Civil War and subsequent military campaigns. AARP has helped in the cemetery's restoration as an outdoor musuem and historic public space.
Contributor: Suzanne LaFollette-Black, AARP Volunteer
Age-Friendly Columbus and Franklin County (among others)
Description: Created under the leadership of Ohio Department of Transportation Older Road User Committee, the Safe Routes to Age in Place program researched the individual, behavioral, and environmental components of mobility experienced by older adults. The report was written by Age-Friendly Columbus and Franklin County, Ohio State College of Social Work along with the University of Texas at Arlington School of Social Work.
Contributor: Katie White, Director, Age-Friendly Communities, The Ohio State University
Atlanta Regional Commission
- Empowerline: A self-service site that connects adults with disabilities and older adults, as well as their caregivers, with trusted community resources
- Senior Sentiments from Metro Atlanta Speaks 2020: An annual household survey that captures the attitudes and perceptions of residents age 65 or over
- Live Beyond Expectations Regional Strategic Plan 2020-2025: This strategic framework is designed to identify and address the inequities that create disparities in life expectancy
- Aging and Independence Services Annual Report: Highlights and outcomes of area programs and services
- Aging and Independence Policy Briefs (including on Social Isolation and Loneliness): Reports about the crucial issues that impact older adults
Description: The Atlanta Regional Commission is the regional planning and intergovernmental coordination agency for the 11-county, 75-city Atlanta region.
Contributor: Doug Hooker, Executive Director, Atlanta Regional Commission
City of Seattle, Washington
Description: When government agencies engage via hybrid events with language access options, they build connections with underserved communities including BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, people of color) older adults, immigrant and refugee elders. By partnering with community organizations, these agencies decentralize information delivery (i.e., “meet people where they are”) and increase civic participation for all.
Contributor: Lenny Orlov, Age Friendly Seattle Program Coordinator, City of Seattle
Kūpuna Food Security Coalition
Description: The report is a chronicle of the coalition's efforts in response to the COVID-19 pandemic and serves as a roadmap for future emergency feeding and other efforts to develop a more resilient food system that best serves Hawaiʻi's kūpuna (or older adults).
Contributor: Lindsey Ilagan, Program Manager, Hawaii Public Health Institute
Wabash Valley Art Spaces
Description: NEIGHBORS is an interactive public art project conceived by artist Matthew Mazzotta for Herz-Rose Park in the Ryves neighborhood of Terre Haute, Indiana. Two house-like structures with permanent seating offer year-round opportunities for gathering and can transform into a variety of orientations, allowing for creative programming to address community-identified needs.
Contributor: Matthew Mazzotta, Artist and Lecturer
Learn More
2021 AARP Livable Communities Engagement Workshop
Page published October 2021
